Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Artesia, NM and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,346 in Artesia, NM, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Artesia, NM
Learn more

Artesia, NM Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,346

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,346 in Artesia, NM versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Artesia, NM $2,346
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,160 in Artesia, NM versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Artesia, NM $3,160
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,974 in Artesia, NM versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Artesia, NM $3,974
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Artesia, NM is roughly 153% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Artesia, NM is 73% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 $16.28

$2.29 ฿76.5

610.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.94 $46.94

$19.64 ฿656

139.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$5.61 ฿188

113.55%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$1.66 ฿55.6

269.28%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$0.70 ฿23.40

232.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$0.31 ฿10.24

419.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.41 ฿80.4

147.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.71 ฿124

86.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.95 ฿65.3

-57.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.41 ฿47.03

103.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.31 ฿43.62

89.31%

Eggs

$3.45 $3.45

$2.18 ฿72.9

58.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$16.65 ฿556

-28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 $11.71

$2.76 ฿92.2

324.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.11 ฿304

42.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.39 ฿80.0

49.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.03 ฿34.26

41.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.63 ฿54.4

60.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.50 ฿50.0

144.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.29 ฿43.13

63.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.11 ฿37.03

142.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.72 ฿24.08

145.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.53 ฿17.59

205.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 $10.19

$4.31 ฿144

136.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$17.95 ฿600

-48.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.58 ฿52.9

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.84 ฿95.0

66.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.86 ฿28.86

137.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.21 ฿40.29

33.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.57 ฿18.99

138.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.81 $26.81

$2.35 ฿78.6

1040.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.44 ฿47.96

-33.33%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

31.58%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-2.48%

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

$149 $149

$62.3 ฿2,083

138.91%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$12.11 ฿405

496.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$19.94 ฿666

241.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$37.07 ฿1,239

12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 $8.02

$6.50 ฿217

23.38%

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

$581 $581

$793 ฿26.5K

-26.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,020 $7,020

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-52.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.66 $37.66

$53.7 ฿1,796

-29.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.76 $36.76

$24.62 ฿823

49.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$90.9 ฿3,036

-6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 $79.0

$71.1 ฿2,378

11.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 $1,524

$455 ฿15.2K

234.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 $1,250

$298 ฿9,954

319.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 $2,084

$908 ฿30.4K

129.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$554 ฿18.5K

195.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 $2,773

$1,931 ฿64.5K

43.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,389 $2,389

$1,445 ฿48.3K

65.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,509 $3,509

$591 ฿19.7K

493.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Artesia, NM: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 53.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 76.2% $952

Groceries & Markets

Artesia, NM

$326 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 27.7% $90

Eating Out

Artesia, NM

$299 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 73.7% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Artesia, NM

$289 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 67.4% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Artesia, NM

$107 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Artesia, NM

$58 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 13.5% $7.8

Getting Around

Artesia, NM

$17 * 0.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 267% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Artesia, NM and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Artesia, NM pays 494% 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: $47.00 in Artesia, NM vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

15:11 3:11 PM

13 h ahead of Artesia, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,522

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Artesia, NM Chiang Mai 13,760 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Artesia, NM
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

Artesia, NM vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 153% lower than in Artesia, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 494% higher in Artesia, NM, 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: $1,524 in Artesia, NM versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $581 in Artesia, NM versus $793 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Artesia, NM. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $2,346 in Artesia, NM, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Artesia, NM. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Artesia, NM 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 153% less than in Artesia, NM. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.