Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baraboo, WI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,376 in Baraboo, WI, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Baraboo, WI
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Baraboo, WI Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Baraboo, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,376

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,376 in Baraboo, WI versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Baraboo, WI $2,376
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,386 in Baraboo, WI versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Baraboo, WI $3,386
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,395 in Baraboo, WI versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Baraboo, WI $4,395
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Baraboo, WI is roughly 157% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.14 $14.14

$2.29 ฿76.5

517.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 $40.27

$19.64 ฿656

105.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$5.61 ฿188

115.69%

Cappuccino

$4.88 $4.88

$1.66 ฿55.6

193.98%

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

$1.47 $1.47

$0.70 ฿23.40

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.31 ฿10.24

387.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.41 ฿80.4

108.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.71 ฿124

-7.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.95 ฿65.3

-60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.41 ฿47.03

102.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.31 ฿43.62

123.66%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$2.18 ฿72.9

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 $7.95

$16.65 ฿556

-52.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.50 $11.50

$2.76 ฿92.2

316.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 $10.56

$9.11 ฿304

15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.39 ฿80.0

67.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.03 ฿34.26

21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.63 ฿54.4

119.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.50 ฿50.0

263.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.29 ฿43.13

34.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.11 ฿37.03

189.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.72 ฿24.08

134.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.53 ฿17.59

279.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.13 $12.13

$4.31 ฿144

181.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$17.95 ฿600

-55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.58 ฿52.9

6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.84 ฿95.0

19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.86 ฿28.86

101.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.21 ฿40.29

146.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$0.57 ฿18.99

182.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.75 $26.75

$2.35 ฿78.6

1038.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.44 ฿47.96

-27.78%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

17.12%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-4.44%

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

$172 $172

$62.3 ฿2,083

175.61%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$12.11 ฿405

335.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 $51.4

$19.94 ฿666

157.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 $41.57

$37.07 ฿1,239

12.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 $11.57

$6.50 ฿217

78.00%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$793 ฿26.5K

90.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

41.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 $56.2

$53.7 ฿1,796

4.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.90 $42.90

$24.62 ฿823

74.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$90.9 ฿3,036

-1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$71.1 ฿2,378

80.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$455 ฿15.2K

254.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$298 ฿9,954

338.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 $2,474

$908 ฿30.4K

172.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$554 ฿18.5K

287.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$1,931 ฿64.5K

12.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,193 $2,193

$1,445 ฿48.3K

51.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

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 Baraboo, WI: 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

Baraboo, WI

$1.3K 55%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 77.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Baraboo, WI

$316 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 25.5% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baraboo, WI

$276 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 65.8% $182

Eating Out

Baraboo, WI

$252 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 68.8% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Baraboo, WI

$142 6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 24.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Baraboo, WI

$65 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.6% $15

Getting Around

Baraboo, WI

$18 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 238% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,613 in Baraboo, WI and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Baraboo, WI vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baraboo, WI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

10:17 10:17 AM

12 h ahead of Baraboo, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,556

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

Baraboo, WI Chiang Mai 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Baraboo, WI
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

Baraboo, WI vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 157% lower than in Baraboo, WI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,564 in Baraboo, WI and $1,388 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,613 in Baraboo, WI versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Baraboo, WI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,376 per month in Baraboo, WI versus $925 in Chiang Mai – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $2,376 in Baraboo, WI, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Baraboo, WI. 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, Baraboo, WI 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 157% less than in Baraboo, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.