Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlantic City, NJ and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Atlantic City, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,821
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

  • Atlantic City, NJ $2,821
  • Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,228 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

  • Atlantic City, NJ $4,228
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,635 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

  • Atlantic City, NJ $5,635
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Atlantic City, NJ is roughly 205% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Atlantic City, NJ is 108% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.73 $19.73
$2.29 ฿76.5
761.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.1 $98.1
$19.64 ฿656
399.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 $11.30
$5.61 ฿188
101.43%
Cappuccino
$5.43 $5.43
$1.66 ฿55.6
227.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$0.70 ฿23.40
225.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$0.31 ฿10.24
548.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.09 $6.09
$2.41 ฿80.4
152.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.78 $8.78
$3.71 ฿124
136.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.95 ฿65.3
-36.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.38 $3.38
$1.41 ฿47.03
139.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.27 $7.27
$1.31 ฿43.62
454.96%
Eggs
$4.21 $4.21
$2.18 ฿72.9
93.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.18 $11.18
$16.65 ฿556
-32.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.67 $16.67
$2.76 ฿92.2
503.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.14 $20.14
$9.11 ฿304
121.08%
Apples (1kg)
$7.55 $7.55
$2.39 ฿80.0
215.90%
Banana (1kg)
$3.69 $3.69
$1.03 ฿34.26
258.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.41 $5.41
$1.63 ฿54.4
231.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.86 $5.86
$1.50 ฿50.0
290.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$1.29 ฿43.13
208.53%
Onion (1kg)
$4.75 $4.75
$1.11 ฿37.03
327.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.54 $2.54
$0.72 ฿24.08
252.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$0.53 ฿17.59
362.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.24 $14.24
$4.31 ฿144
230.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.27 $13.27
$17.95 ฿600
-26.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 $2.64
$1.58 ฿52.9
67.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 $3.38
$2.84 ฿95.0
19.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.04 $3.04
$0.86 ฿28.86
253.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.3 $88.3
$53.3 ฿1,780
65.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.21 ฿40.29
147.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.11 $2.11
$0.57 ฿18.99
270.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.73 $42.73
$2.35 ฿78.6
1718.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$1.44 ฿47.96
-33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.4K $20.4K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
-1.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K $24.8K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
-7.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$250 $250
$62.3 ฿2,083
301.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.2 $61.2
$12.11 ฿405
405.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.0 $61.0
$19.94 ฿666
206.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.59 $29.59
$37.07 ฿1,239
-20.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.1 $50.1
$3.78 ฿126
1225.13%
Cinema Ticket
$16.78 $16.78
$6.50 ฿217
158.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$503 $503
$793 ฿26.5K
-36.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,031 $7,031
$14.8K ฿494.9K
-52.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.5 $70.5
$53.7 ฿1,796
31.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.78 $31.78
$24.62 ฿823
29.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 $122
$90.9 ฿3,036
33.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$71.1 ฿2,378
68.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,737 $1,737
$455 ฿15.2K
281.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,307 $1,307
$298 ฿9,954
338.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,320 $2,320
$908 ฿30.4K
155.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,175 $2,175
$554 ฿18.5K
292.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,255 $4,255
$1,931 ฿64.5K
120.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,212 $4,212
$1,445 ฿48.3K
191.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Atlantic City, NJ
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,017 $4,017
$591 ฿19.7K
579.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
5.57
19.75%

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

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Atlantic City, NJ
$1.3K
Chiang Mai
$298 77.2% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Atlantic City, NJ
$488
Chiang Mai
$235 51.7% $252
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Atlantic City, NJ
$372
Chiang Mai
$94 74.7% $278
Eating Out
Atlantic City, NJ
$322
Chiang Mai
$79 75.6% $243
Clothing & Footwear
Atlantic City, NJ
$155
Chiang Mai
$108 30.1% $47
Getting Around
Atlantic City, NJ
$114
Chiang Mai
$61 46.7% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Atlantic City, NJ
$63
Chiang Mai
$50 20.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atlantic City, NJ pays 580% 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: $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
23:40 11:40 PM
10:40 10:40 AM
11 h ahead of Atlantic City, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,958
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Atlantic City, NJ Chiang Mai 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Atlantic City, NJ
  • 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
Atlantic City, NJ vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Atlantic City, NJ and in Chiang Mai?
Atlantic City, NJ and Chiang Mai differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $925 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Atlantic City, NJ or Chiang Mai?
Average pay runs 580% higher in Atlantic City, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Atlantic City, NJ and in Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Atlantic City, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Atlantic City, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Atlantic City, NJ and Chiang Mai?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Atlantic City, NJ or Chiang Mai safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Atlantic City, NJ 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.
Where should expats move: Atlantic City, NJ or Chiang Mai?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Atlantic City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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