Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton, IL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Alton, IL vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Alton, IL $1,895
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,862 per month in Alton, IL vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Alton, IL $2,862
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,829 per month in Alton, IL vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Alton, IL $3,829
Chiang Mai $1,903

Alton, IL costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Alton, IL sits 40% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.29 ฿76.5

806.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$19.64 ฿656

183.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$5.61 ฿188

99.11%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$1.66 ฿55.6

198.19%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$0.70 ฿23.40

108.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.31 ฿10.24

461.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.41 ฿80.4

61.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.71 ฿124

58.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.95 ฿65.3

-58.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.41 ฿47.03

83.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.31 ฿43.62

138.93%

Eggs

$3.16 $3.16

$2.18 ฿72.9

44.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$16.65 ฿556

-44.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$2.76 ฿92.2

144.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.42 $23.42

$9.11 ฿304

157.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.39 ฿80.0

78.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.03 ฿34.26

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.63 ฿54.4

217.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.50 ฿50.0

226.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.29 ฿43.13

71.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.11 ฿37.03

146.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.72 ฿24.08

191.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.53 ฿17.59

296.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$4.31 ฿144

157.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$17.95 ฿600

-32.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.58 ฿52.9

15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.84 ฿95.0

-5.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.21 ฿40.29

144.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.57 ฿18.99

196.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.44 ฿47.96

-31.94%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

34.40%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-3.02%

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

$331 $331

$62.3 ฿2,083

431.27%

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

$43.44 $43.44

$12.11 ฿405

258.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.7 $77.7

$19.94 ฿666

289.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.07 $27.07

$37.07 ฿1,239

-26.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$6.50 ฿217

83.85%

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

$279 $279

$793 ฿26.5K

-64.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.36 $40.36

$53.7 ฿1,796

-24.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$24.62 ฿823

73.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 $65.4

$90.9 ฿3,036

-28.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 $76.1

$71.1 ฿2,378

6.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$455 ฿15.2K

67.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 $627

$298 ฿9,954

110.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$908 ฿30.4K

20.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$554 ฿18.5K

130.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,513 $1,513

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-21.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,445 ฿48.3K

0.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,813 $3,813

$591 ฿19.7K

545.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alton, IL

$627 33.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 52.5% $329

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alton, IL

$452 23.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 79.1% $358

Groceries & Markets

Alton, IL

$349 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 32.5% $114

Eating Out

Alton, IL

$303 16%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 74.1% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Alton, IL

$101 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 7% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Alton, IL

$51 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 1.8% $0.9

Getting Around

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 432% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Alton, IL versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 545% higher in Alton, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Alton, IL versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

01:24 1:24 AM

12 h ahead of Alton, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,676

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 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 →

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Between locations

Alton, IL Chiang Mai 13,530 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Alton, IL
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

Alton, IL vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alton, IL costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,842 per month in Alton, IL and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,895 in Alton, IL and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 105%.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Alton, IL and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Alton, IL at $1,895. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,895 in Alton, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alton, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.