Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batavia, IL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,380 in Batavia, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Batavia, IL
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Batavia, IL Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Batavia, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,380

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,380 per month in Batavia, IL vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Batavia, IL $2,380
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,691 per month in Batavia, IL vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Batavia, IL $3,691
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,002 per month in Batavia, IL vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Batavia, IL $5,002
Chiang Mai $1,999

Batavia, IL costs about 154% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Batavia, IL sits 76% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.67 $15.67

$2.13 ฿71.8

635.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 $71.0

$18.62 ฿626

281.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.60 ฿188

125.00%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.66 ฿55.9

230.12%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$0.65 ฿21.75

370.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.30 ฿10.25

686.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 $6.51

$2.32 ฿78.1

180.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 $8.65

$3.67 ฿123

135.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.02 ฿67.8

-61.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.41 ฿47.34

93.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.39 ฿46.79

114.39%

Eggs

$3.62 $3.62

$2.37 ฿79.6

52.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$16.52 ฿555

-52.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 $11.48

$2.67 ฿89.8

329.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 $10.44

$9.02 ฿303

15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.40 ฿80.6

92.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.04 ฿35.01

50.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.66 ฿55.8

108.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.56 ฿52.4

189.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.24 ฿41.61

39.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.09 ฿36.53

158.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 $1.68

$0.76 ฿25.61

121.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.51 ฿17.29

352.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$4.12 ฿139

166.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 $8.48

$17.93 ฿603

-52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.62 ฿54.6

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.82 ฿94.9

52.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.93 ฿31.42

141.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 $51.9

$52.9 ฿1,778

-1.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.18 ฿39.56

229.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.17 ฿5.76

1088.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.18 $43.18

$1.81 ฿60.9

2285.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.47 ฿49.51

-27.89%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

18.06%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-4.27%

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

$176 $176

$62.6 ฿2,103

181.49%

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

$45.43 $45.43

$11.60 ฿390

291.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 $50.9

$20.30 ฿683

150.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.92 $38.92

$37.88 ฿1,274

2.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$6.51 ฿219

80.80%

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

$1,475 $1,475

$727 ฿24.4K

102.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K $21.7K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

30.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$53.5 ฿1,800

4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.76 $47.76

$24.80 ฿834

92.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$90.4 ฿3,039

-0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$72.0 ฿2,420

69.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,754 $1,754

$481 ฿16.2K

264.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 $1,206

$310 ฿10.4K

289.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 $2,678

$1,058 ฿35.6K

153.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,397 $2,397

$659 ฿22.1K

264.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,848 $2,848

$2,418 ฿81.3K

17.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,477 $2,477

$1,609 ฿54.1K

53.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

5.57

14.00%

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

Last update for Batavia, IL: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Batavia, IL

$1.2K 50.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 74.3% $896

Groceries & Markets

Batavia, IL

$322 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 26.4% $85

Eating Out

Batavia, IL

$300 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 74.5% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Batavia, IL

$272 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 65.3% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Batavia, IL

$142 6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 23.9% $34

Getting Around

Batavia, IL

$75 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 21.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Batavia, IL

$62 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 18.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,754 in Batavia, IL 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 $71 in Batavia, IL versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Batavia, IL

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

01:12 1:12 AM

13 h ahead of Batavia, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,600

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Batavia, IL Chiang Mai 13,230 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Batavia, IL
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

Batavia, IL vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Batavia, IL is pricier by about 154%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,571 per month in Batavia, IL 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 $1,754 in Batavia, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Batavia, IL and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Batavia, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,380 in Batavia, IL 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.