Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Appleton, WI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,114 in Appleton, WI, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,114

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,114 per month in Appleton, WI vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Appleton, WI $2,114
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,257 per month in Appleton, WI vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Appleton, WI $3,257
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,400 per month in Appleton, WI vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Appleton, WI $4,400
Chiang Mai $1,914

Appleton, WI costs about 125% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Appleton, WI sits 57% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 $18.17

$2.26 ฿75.4

703.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$19.18 ฿641

239.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 $11.10

$5.59 ฿187

98.57%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$1.72 ฿57.6

212.21%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$0.64 ฿21.54

304.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.33 ฿11.18

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.36 ฿78.7

95.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.90 ฿130

56.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.05 ฿68.6

-49.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.40 ฿46.70

118.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.28 ฿42.89

300.78%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$2.25 ฿75.3

101.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$16.94 ฿566

-16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$2.74 ฿91.6

204.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 $15.52

$9.36 ฿313

65.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.40 ฿80.3

101.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.01 ฿33.92

31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.61 ฿53.9

95.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.52 ฿50.7

187.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.28 ฿42.90

66.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.11 ฿37.22

136.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.72 ฿24.09

206.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.52 ฿17.54

503.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 $10.94

$4.33 ฿145

152.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$17.73 ฿593

-16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.63 ฿54.4

7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.85 ฿95.3

17.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.17 ฿39.18

175.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.57 ฿19.00

143.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$2.37 ฿79.2

926.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.45 ฿48.32

-32.41%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

73.11%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-4.08%

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

$174 $174

$62.3 ฿2,083

179.50%

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

$44.20 $44.20

$12.27 ฿410

260.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$19.97 ฿668

208.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.46 $23.46

$37.91 ฿1,267

-38.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.62 $39.62

$3.76 ฿126

953.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$6.71 ฿224

116.84%

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

$1,508 $1,508

$797 ฿26.6K

89.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

111.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.23 $39.23

$53.3 ฿1,780

-26.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.89 $24.89

$25.05 ฿837

-0.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.0 $50.0

$91.6 ฿3,062

-45.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$73.5 ฿2,455

50.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 $1,524

$464 ฿15.5K

228.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 $992

$305 ฿10.2K

225.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$915 ฿30.6K

96.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$552 ฿18.5K

243.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,257 $2,257

$1,912 ฿63.9K

18.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,278 $2,278

$1,438 ฿48.1K

58.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,999 $3,999

$595 ฿19.9K

571.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.57

14.36%

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

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Appleton, WI

$992 46.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 69.3% $687

Groceries & Markets

Appleton, WI

$380 18%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 37.4% $142

Eating Out

Appleton, WI

$298 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 73.5% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Appleton, WI

$280 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 66.2% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Appleton, WI

$101 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 8.2% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 2.3% $1.2

Getting Around

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 503% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,524 in Appleton, WI versus $464 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 572% higher in Appleton, WI, 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 $65.0 in Appleton, WI versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

04:28 4:28 AM

12 h ahead of Appleton, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,139

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 →

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Appleton, WI Chiang Mai 12,970 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Appleton, WI
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

Appleton, WI vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Appleton, WI is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,170 per month in Appleton, WI and $1,408 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Appleton, WI and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 60% more in Appleton, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Appleton, WI at $2,114. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Appleton, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Appleton, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.