Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, NY and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,512 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
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Amherst, NY Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,512

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,512 per month in Amherst, NY vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Amherst, NY $2,512
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,853 per month in Amherst, NY vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Amherst, NY $3,853
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,195 per month in Amherst, NY vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Amherst, NY $5,195
Chiang Mai $1,999

Amherst, NY costs about 168% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Amherst, NY sits 86% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$2.13 ฿71.8

748.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$18.62 ฿626

318.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.60 ฿188

117.32%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$1.66 ฿55.9

257.83%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$0.65 ฿21.75

323.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.30 ฿10.25

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.32 ฿78.1

198.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 $7.58

$3.67 ฿123

106.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.02 ฿67.8

-56.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.41 ฿47.34

135.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.39 ฿46.79

210.79%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$2.37 ฿79.6

67.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$16.52 ฿555

-33.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 $9.98

$2.67 ฿89.8

273.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 $15.86

$9.02 ฿303

75.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.40 ฿80.6

104.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.04 ฿35.01

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.66 ฿55.8

164.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.56 ฿52.4

237.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.24 ฿41.61

119.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.09 ฿36.53

170.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.76 ฿25.61

215.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.51 ฿17.29

384.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 $15.03

$4.12 ฿139

264.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.93 ฿603

-16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.62 ฿54.6

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.82 ฿94.9

46.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.93 ฿31.42

109.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 $54.1

$52.9 ฿1,778

2.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.18 ฿39.56

139.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.17 ฿5.76

1105.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.01 $20.01

$1.81 ฿60.9

1005.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.47 ฿49.51

-19.73%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

45.69%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-2.77%

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

$234 $234

$62.6 ฿2,103

273.88%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$11.60 ฿390

345.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$20.30 ฿683

226.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 $40.31

$37.88 ฿1,274

6.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 $19.77

$3.70 ฿124

434.32%

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$6.51 ฿219

97.85%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$727 ฿24.4K

73.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

13.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$53.5 ฿1,800

0.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.22 $44.22

$24.80 ฿834

78.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 $96.1

$90.4 ฿3,039

6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$72.0 ฿2,420

59.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 $1,547

$481 ฿16.2K

221.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 $1,174

$310 ฿10.4K

278.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,716 $2,716

$1,058 ฿35.6K

156.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$659 ฿22.1K

244.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 $2,775

$2,418 ฿81.3K

14.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$1,609 ฿54.1K

46.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,179 $4,179

$595 ฿20.0K

602.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

5.57

17.06%

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

Last update for Amherst, NY: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, NY

$1.2K 46.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 73.6% $864

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, NY

$384 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 38.4% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, NY

$352 14%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 73.2% $257

Eating Out

Amherst, NY

$322 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 76.2% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, NY

$139 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 22% $31

Getting Around

Amherst, NY

$75 3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 21.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, NY

$66 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 22.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,547 in Amherst, NY versus $481 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 in Amherst, NY are about 7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Amherst, NY versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

02:51 2:51 AM

12 h ahead of Amherst, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Amherst, NY Chiang Mai 13,140 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, NY
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

Amherst, NY vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amherst, NY costs about 168% 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 $3,767 per month in Amherst, NY and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,547 in Amherst, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Amherst, NY and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Amherst, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,512 in Amherst, NY and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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