Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, MN and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,529 in Austin, MN, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Austin, MN
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Austin, MN Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Austin, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,529

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Austin, MN vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Austin, MN $2,529
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,726 per month in Austin, MN vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Austin, MN $3,726
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,923 per month in Austin, MN vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Austin, MN $4,923
Chiang Mai $1,999

Austin, MN costs about 170% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, MN sits 87% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$2.13 ฿72.0

831.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$18.62 ฿628

432.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 $12.06

$5.60 ฿189

115.36%

Cappuccino

$4.90 $4.90

$1.66 ฿56.1

195.18%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$0.65 ฿21.82

358.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.30 ฿10.29

576.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.32 ฿78.3

109.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.67 ฿124

54.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.02 ฿68.0

-59.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.41 ฿47.49

103.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.39 ฿46.94

41.01%

Eggs

$2.55 $2.55

$2.37 ฿79.9

7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$16.52 ฿557

-41.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.67 ฿90.1

149.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 $18.85

$9.02 ฿304

108.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.40 ฿80.9

127.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.04 ฿35.12

13.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.66 ฿56.0

121.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.56 ฿52.6

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.24 ฿41.75

101.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.09 ฿36.65

103.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.76 ฿25.70

92.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.51 ฿17.34

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 $10.11

$4.12 ฿139

145.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$17.93 ฿605

-82.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.62 ฿54.8

4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.82 ฿95.2

6.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.93 ฿31.52

96.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 $53.7

$52.9 ฿1,784

1.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.18 ฿39.69

73.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.17 ฿5.78

605.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$1.81 ฿61.1

1010.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.47 ฿49.67

-31.29%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

25.79%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-4.63%

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

$188 $188

$62.6 ฿2,110

199.90%

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

$52.1 $52.1

$11.60 ฿391

348.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 $75.6

$20.30 ฿685

272.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 $42.21

$37.88 ฿1,278

11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 $10.15

$6.51 ฿220

55.91%

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

$1,304 $1,304

$727 ฿24.5K

79.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K $14.9K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-9.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 $76.8

$53.5 ฿1,806

43.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 $55.0

$24.80 ฿836

121.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$90.4 ฿3,049

14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$72.0 ฿2,428

127.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$481 ฿16.2K

202.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$310 ฿10.5K

319.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 $2,523

$1,058 ฿35.7K

138.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$659 ฿22.2K

215.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,441 $2,441

$2,418 ฿81.5K

0.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,247 $2,247

$1,609 ฿54.3K

39.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Austin, MN: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, MN

$1.3K 51.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 76.1% $989

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, MN

$315 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 70% $221

Eating Out

Austin, MN

$310 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 75.3% $233

Groceries & Markets

Austin, MN

$294 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 19.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, MN

$179 7.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 39.6% $71

Getting Around

Austin, MN

$69 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 15% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, MN

$63 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 18.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,456 in Austin, MN versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Austin, MN versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, MN

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

19:42 7:42 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, MN Chiang Mai 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, MN
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

Austin, MN vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, MN is pricier by about 170%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,794 per month in Austin, MN 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 $481 there versus $1,456 in Austin, MN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,529 in Austin, MN and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 63% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,304 per month in Austin, MN and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,529 in Austin, MN and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.