Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alpharetta, GA 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 Alpharetta, GA and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Alpharetta, GA $3,015
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Alpharetta, GA $4,418
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Alpharetta, GA $5,822
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Alpharetta, GA is roughly 221% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alpharetta, GA is 123% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$2.26 ฿75.4

1046.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$19.18 ฿641

323.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$5.59 ฿187

75.67%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$1.72 ฿57.6

183.14%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$0.64 ฿21.54

293.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.33 ฿11.18

539.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$2.36 ฿78.7

144.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$3.90 ฿130

89.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.05 ฿68.6

-54.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$1.40 ฿46.70

203.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$1.28 ฿42.89

347.66%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$2.25 ฿75.3

103.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$16.94 ฿566

-32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$2.74 ฿91.6

218.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$9.36 ฿313

117.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.40 ฿80.3

92.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.01 ฿33.92

111.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.61 ฿53.9

162.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.52 ฿50.7

190.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.28 ฿42.90

185.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.11 ฿37.22

234.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.72 ฿24.09

231.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$0.52 ฿17.54

432.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.33 ฿145

106.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$17.73 ฿593

-16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.63 ฿54.4

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.85 ฿95.3

37.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.85 ฿28.31

245.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 $94.2

$53.9 ฿1,801

74.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.17 ฿39.18

163.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.57 ฿19.00

315.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$2.37 ฿79.2

1620.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.45 ฿48.32

-37.93%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

58.51%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-0.88%

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

$252 $252

$62.3 ฿2,083

304.24%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$12.27 ฿410

337.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$19.97 ฿668

337.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 $34.02

$37.91 ฿1,267

-10.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$3.76 ฿126

491.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.81 $16.81

$6.71 ฿224

150.52%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$797 ฿26.6K

62.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

8.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

44.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$25.05 ฿837

79.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$91.6 ฿3,062

39.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$73.5 ฿2,455

89.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$464 ฿15.5K

353.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$305 ฿10.2K

388.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,000 $3,000

$915 ฿30.6K

227.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$552 ฿18.5K

351.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,659 $7,659

$1,912 ฿63.9K

300.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 $5,366

$1,438 ฿48.1K

273.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,390 $6,390

$595 ฿19.9K

973.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

5.57

22.80%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 79.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 42.5% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 75.9% $298

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 77.9% $278

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 37.3% $65

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 49.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 24.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 974% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

07:16 7:16 AM

11 h ahead of Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alpharetta, GA Chiang Mai 14,130 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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

Alpharetta, GA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 221% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 974% higher in Alpharetta, GA, 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: $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 75% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alpharetta, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alpharetta, GA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Alpharetta, GA 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 221% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.