Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Adelanto, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,524 in Adelanto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Adelanto, CA
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Adelanto, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Adelanto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,524

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Adelanto, CA and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Adelanto, CA and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,524 in Adelanto, CA versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Adelanto, CA $2,524
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,674 in Adelanto, CA versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Adelanto, CA $3,674
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,824 in Adelanto, CA versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Adelanto, CA $4,824
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Adelanto, CA is roughly 170% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Adelanto, CA is 85% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$2.24 ฿75.7

785.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 $49.46

$19.00 ฿642

160.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$5.55 ฿188

169.73%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$1.67 ฿56.6

252.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.64 ฿21.56

209.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.31 ฿10.32

232.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 $7.68

$2.36 ฿79.6

225.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.66 ฿124

89.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.95 ฿65.8

-46.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.44 ฿48.51

59.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.33 ฿45.07

74.44%

Eggs

$3.45 $3.45

$2.28 ฿77.1

51.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$16.45 ฿556

-20.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.78 ฿94.0

140.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 $15.62

$9.31 ฿314

67.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.35 ฿79.5

106.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.97 ฿32.82

77.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.60 ฿53.9

76.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.50 ฿50.7

160.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.28 ฿43.15

55.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.10 ฿37.22

103.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.71 ฿23.84

163.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.49 ฿16.38

285.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$4.14 ฿140

183.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$17.52 ฿592

-15.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.61 ฿54.5

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.78 ฿94.0

48.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.87 ฿29.33

106.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$54.1 ฿1,827

16.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.16 ฿39.08

427.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.53 ฿17.82

224.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.64 $33.64

$2.42 ฿81.8

1290.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.45 ฿48.93

8.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K $29.1K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

38.36%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-0.60%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$165 $165

$62.2 ฿2,100

165.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$12.17 ฿411

448.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$20.12 ฿680

196.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.02 $42.02

$37.31 ฿1,260

12.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 $15.30

$6.49 ฿219

135.75%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,872 $1,872

$736 ฿24.9K

154.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

59.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 $56.7

$53.4 ฿1,802

6.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 $39.30

$24.64 ฿832

59.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 $92.7

$91.5 ฿3,089

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$71.9 ฿2,429

97.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 $1,550

$482 ฿16.3K

221.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 $1,257

$309 ฿10.4K

307.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$1,006 ฿34.0K

151.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 $2,134

$633 ฿21.4K

236.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,889 $2,889

$2,363 ฿79.8K

22.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,255 $2,255

$1,589 ฿53.7K

41.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,611 $7,611

$590 ฿19.9K

1190.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.57

14.72%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Adelanto, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Adelanto, CA

$1.3K 49.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.4% $949

Eating Out

Adelanto, CA

$338 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 77.1% $261

Groceries & Markets

Adelanto, CA

$330 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 29% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Adelanto, CA

$292 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 67.6% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Adelanto, CA

$149 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 27% $40

Getting Around

Adelanto, CA

$85 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 27.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Adelanto, CA

$73 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Adelanto, CA and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Adelanto, CA pays about 13 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Adelanto, CA vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Adelanto, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

14 h ahead of Adelanto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,644

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Adelanto, CA Chiang Mai 12,940 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Adelanto, CA
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Adelanto, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 170% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Adelanto, CA is about 13 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,550 in Adelanto, CA versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $49 in Adelanto, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,524 per month in Adelanto, CA versus $936 in Chiang Mai – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Adelanto, CA and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Adelanto, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.