Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bakersfield, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,855

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Bakersfield, CA $2,855
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,902 in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Bakersfield, CA $3,902
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,949 in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Bakersfield, CA $4,949
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bakersfield, CA is roughly 205% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bakersfield, CA is 110% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.64 $18.64

$2.24 ฿75.6

732.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 $64.8

$19.00 ฿641

241.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.10 $14.10

$5.55 ฿187

154.05%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$1.67 ฿56.5

243.71%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$0.64 ฿21.54

326.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.31 ฿10.31

548.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.36 ฿79.5

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.66 ฿124

58.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.95 ฿65.7

-44.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.44 ฿48.46

188.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.33 ฿45.03

281.20%

Eggs

$3.29 $3.29

$2.28 ฿77.1

44.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$16.45 ฿555

-22.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$2.78 ฿93.9

379.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$9.31 ฿314

71.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.35 ฿79.4

77.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.97 ฿32.79

110.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.60 ฿53.9

146.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.50 ฿50.6

152.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.28 ฿43.11

67.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.10 ฿37.18

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.71 ฿23.82

198.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.49 ฿16.36

406.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$4.14 ฿140

179.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.80 $17.80

$17.52 ฿591

1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.61 ฿54.5

22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.78 ฿93.9

72.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.87 ฿29.30

86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$54.1 ฿1,825

7.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.16 ฿39.04

161.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$0.53 ฿17.80

290.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.45 ฿48.88

4.83%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

30.58%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

0.78%

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

$390 $390

$62.2 ฿2,098

527.96%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$12.17 ฿411

387.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$20.12 ฿679

272.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 $32.71

$37.31 ฿1,259

-12.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 $24.81

$3.77 ฿127

558.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$6.49 ฿219

132.82%

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

$1,501 $1,501

$736 ฿24.8K

103.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$53.4 ฿1,801

12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.66 $47.66

$24.64 ฿831

93.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 $98.9

$91.5 ฿3,087

8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$71.9 ฿2,427

67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$482 ฿16.3K

218.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$309 ฿10.4K

324.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 $1,828

$1,006 ฿33.9K

81.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 $1,834

$633 ฿21.4K

189.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,742 $2,742

$2,363 ฿79.7K

16.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$1,589 ฿53.6K

52.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 $3,743

$590 ฿19.9K

534.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.57

15.44%

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

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bakersfield, CA

$1.3K 45.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 76.4% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bakersfield, CA

$525 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 82% $430

Groceries & Markets

Bakersfield, CA

$411 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 43% $177

Eating Out

Bakersfield, CA

$320 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 75.8% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Bakersfield, CA

$147 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 26.1% $38

Getting Around

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 21.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bakersfield, CA

$63 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 20.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bakersfield, CA pays about 6.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in Bakersfield, CA vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

04:47 4:47 AM

15 h ahead of Bakersfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

373,640

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Bakersfield, CA Chiang Mai 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Bakersfield, CA
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

Bakersfield, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Bakersfield, CA is about 6.3 times higher, 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: $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA versus $482 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 $19 versus $65 in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,855 per month in Bakersfield, CA versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Bakersfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.