Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlanta, GA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,947 in Atlanta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Atlanta, GA
Learn more

Atlanta, GA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Atlanta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,947

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,947 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $2,947
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,321 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $4,321
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,695 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $5,695
Chiang Mai $1,979

Atlanta, GA costs about 215% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Atlanta, GA sits 117% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.94 $31.94

$2.24 ฿75.7

1325.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 $113

$19.00 ฿642

493.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$5.55 ฿188

118.92%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$1.67 ฿56.6

237.72%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$0.64 ฿21.56

351.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.31 ฿10.32

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.36 ฿79.6

176.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.66 ฿124

117.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.95 ฿65.8

-52.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.44 ฿48.51

138.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.33 ฿45.07

181.20%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.28 ฿77.1

108.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$16.45 ฿556

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.52 $14.52

$2.78 ฿94.0

422.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.69 $19.69

$9.31 ฿314

111.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.35 ฿79.5

147.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.97 ฿32.82

48.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$1.60 ฿53.9

280.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.50 ฿50.7

263.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.28 ฿43.15

186.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.10 ฿37.22

133.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.71 ฿23.84

221.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.49 ฿16.38

461.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.12 $9.12

$4.14 ฿140

120.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$17.52 ฿592

-15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.61 ฿54.5

136.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.78 ฿94.0

83.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.87 ฿29.33

180.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 $96.4

$54.1 ฿1,827

78.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.16 ฿39.08

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.53 ฿17.82

179.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$2.42 ฿81.8

888.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 ฿48.93

-31.72%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

75.87%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-2.52%

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

$219 $219

$62.2 ฿2,100

252.13%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$12.17 ฿411

479.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 $84.9

$20.12 ฿680

321.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 $30.53

$37.31 ฿1,260

-18.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.12 $16.12

$3.77 ฿127

327.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.90 $16.90

$6.49 ฿219

160.40%

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

$1,808 $1,808

$736 ฿24.9K

145.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

52.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$53.4 ฿1,802

-2.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.16 $44.16

$24.64 ฿832

79.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 $98.2

$91.5 ฿3,089

7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$71.9 ฿2,429

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 $1,981

$482 ฿16.3K

310.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 $1,369

$309 ฿10.4K

343.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,186 $3,186

$1,006 ฿34.0K

216.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$633 ฿21.4K

226.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,592 $3,592

$2,363 ฿79.8K

52.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,490 $2,490

$1,589 ฿53.7K

56.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,391 $5,391

$590 ฿19.9K

814.19%

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 Atlanta, GA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atlanta, GA

$1.4K 46.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 77.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Atlanta, GA

$458 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 48.8% $223

Eating Out

Atlanta, GA

$428 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 81.9% $351

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlanta, GA

$374 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 74.8% $280

Clothing & Footwear

Atlanta, GA

$136 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 20.4% $28

Getting Around

Atlanta, GA

$117 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 47.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Atlanta, GA

$64 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 21.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,981 in Atlanta, GA versus $482 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 Atlanta, GA are about 9.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Atlanta, GA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlanta, GA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

18:45 6:45 PM

11 h ahead of Atlanta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

510,823

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Atlanta, GA Chiang Mai 14,130 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Atlanta, GA
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

Atlanta, GA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Atlanta, GA is pricier by about 215%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,421 per month in Atlanta, GA 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 $482 there versus $1,981 in Atlanta, GA.

Groceries cost about 95% more in Atlanta, GA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Atlanta, GA and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,947 in Atlanta, GA and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $2,947 in Atlanta, GA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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