Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, OH and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,365 in Ashland, OH, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, OH
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Ashland, OH Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ashland, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,365 in Ashland, OH versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Ashland, OH $2,365
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,244 in Ashland, OH versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Ashland, OH $3,244
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,124 in Ashland, OH versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Ashland, OH $4,124
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Ashland, OH is roughly 156% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashland, OH is 75% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.76 $8.76

$2.29 ฿76.5

282.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.20 $35.20

$19.64 ฿656

79.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 $8.26

$5.61 ฿188

47.24%

Cappuccino

$3.45 $3.45

$1.66 ฿55.6

107.83%

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

$2.18 $2.18

$0.70 ฿23.40

211.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.31 ฿10.24

296.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.41 ฿80.4

13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.71 ฿124

116.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.95 ฿65.3

-57.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.41 ฿47.03

30.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.31 ฿43.62

171.76%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$2.18 ฿72.9

67.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$16.65 ฿556

-40.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 $9.23

$2.76 ฿92.2

234.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$9.11 ฿304

59.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.39 ฿80.0

43.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.03 ฿34.26

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.63 ฿54.4

98.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.50 ฿50.0

194.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.29 ฿43.13

54.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.11 ฿37.03

160.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$0.72 ฿24.08

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.53 ฿17.59

275.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 $10.33

$4.31 ฿144

139.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$17.95 ฿600

-47.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.58 ฿52.9

35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.84 ฿95.0

-8.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 $4.92

$0.86 ฿28.86

472.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$200 $200

$53.3 ฿1,780

275.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.21 ฿40.29

147.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.57 ฿18.99

63.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.04 $18.04

$2.35 ฿78.6

667.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.44 ฿47.96

-27.78%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

42.68%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-2.61%

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

$198 $198

$62.3 ฿2,083

217.55%

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

$33.76 $33.76

$12.11 ฿405

178.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 $58.7

$19.94 ฿666

194.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 $45.79

$37.07 ฿1,239

23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$8.08 $8.08

$6.50 ฿217

24.31%

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

$890 $890

$793 ฿26.5K

12.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K $20.3K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

37.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$53.7 ฿1,796

0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 $43.89

$24.62 ฿823

78.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 $99.3

$90.9 ฿3,036

9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$71.1 ฿2,378

47.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 $885

$455 ฿15.2K

94.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$298 ฿9,954

288.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 $1,325

$908 ฿30.4K

45.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$554 ฿18.5K

199.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,838 $1,838

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-4.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,968 $1,968

$1,445 ฿48.3K

36.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,580 $3,580

$591 ฿19.7K

505.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.57

18.49%

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

Last update for Ashland, OH: 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

Ashland, OH

$1.2K 48.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 74.3% $859

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, OH

$313 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 24.7% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, OH

$290 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 67.5% $196

Getting Around

Ashland, OH

$227 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 73.2% $166

Eating Out

Ashland, OH

$180 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 56.2% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, OH

$136 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 20.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, OH

$62 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 19.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Ashland, OH and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashland, OH pays 506% 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: $35.00 in Ashland, OH vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, OH

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

15:48 3:48 PM

11 h ahead of Ashland, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

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

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Between locations

Ashland, OH Chiang Mai 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, OH
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

Ashland, OH vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 156% lower than in Ashland, OH. 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 506% higher in Ashland, OH, 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: $885 in Ashland, OH versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $35.00 in Ashland, OH. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,365 per month in Ashland, OH versus $925 in Chiang Mai – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $2,365 in Ashland, OH, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ashland, OH. 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, Ashland, OH 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 156% less than in Ashland, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.