Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boca Raton, FL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $3,423 in Boca Raton, FL, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Boca Raton, FL
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Boca Raton, FL Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Boca Raton, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,423

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,423 in Boca Raton, FL versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Boca Raton, FL $3,423
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,232 in Boca Raton, FL versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Boca Raton, FL $5,232
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,041 in Boca Raton, FL versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Boca Raton, FL $7,041
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Boca Raton, FL is roughly 270% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boca Raton, FL is 153% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.78 $24.78

$2.29 ฿76.5

982.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$19.64 ฿656

411.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.29 $12.29

$5.61 ฿188

119.07%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$1.66 ฿55.6

176.51%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$0.70 ฿23.40

224.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.31 ฿10.24

509.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.41 ฿80.4

153.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.71 ฿124

92.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.95 ฿65.3

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.41 ฿47.03

202.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$1.31 ฿43.62

441.22%

Eggs

$5.33 $5.33

$2.18 ฿72.9

144.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$16.65 ฿556

-30.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$2.76 ฿92.2

409.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.50 $23.50

$9.11 ฿304

157.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.39 ฿80.0

107.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.03 ฿34.26

83.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.63 ฿54.4

131.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.50 ฿50.0

242.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.29 ฿43.13

149.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.11 ฿37.03

194.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.72 ฿24.08

40.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.53 ฿17.59

384.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$4.31 ฿144

135.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 $14.02

$17.95 ฿600

-21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.58 ฿52.9

25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.84 ฿95.0

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.86 ฿28.86

138.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.69 $35.69

$53.3 ฿1,780

-33.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.21 ฿40.29

231.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.57 ฿18.99

26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$2.35 ฿78.6

1163.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.44 ฿47.96

-34.72%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

66.35%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-5.13%

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

$217 $217

$62.3 ฿2,083

248.48%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$12.11 ฿405

345.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$19.94 ฿666

268.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.17 $36.17

$37.07 ฿1,239

-2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

$3.78 ฿126

434.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$6.50 ฿217

133.69%

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

$1,073 $1,073

$793 ฿26.5K

35.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

43.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.13 $46.13

$53.7 ฿1,796

-14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.47 $42.47

$24.62 ฿823

72.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 $70.7

$90.9 ฿3,036

-22.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.1 $68.1

$71.1 ฿2,378

-4.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,372 $3,372

$455 ฿15.2K

640.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$298 ฿9,954

590.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,578 $4,578

$908 ฿30.4K

404.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,894 $3,894

$554 ฿18.5K

603.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,693 $8,693

$1,931 ฿64.5K

350.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,480 $6,480

$1,445 ฿48.3K

348.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,714 $5,714

$591 ฿19.7K

867.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Boca Raton, FL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boca Raton, FL

$2.1K 60.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 85.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Boca Raton, FL

$449 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 47.6% $214

Eating Out

Boca Raton, FL

$352 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 77.6% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boca Raton, FL

$345 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 72.6% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Boca Raton, FL

$102 3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 5.7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Boca Raton, FL

$67 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 24.8% $16

Getting Around

Boca Raton, FL

$52 1.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 18% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,372 in Boca Raton, FL and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boca Raton, FL pays 867% 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: $100 in Boca Raton, FL vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boca Raton, FL

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

21:27 9:27 PM

11 h ahead of Boca Raton, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,396

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Boca Raton, FL Chiang Mai 14,990 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Boca Raton, FL
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

Boca Raton, FL vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 270% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 867% higher in Boca Raton, FL, 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: $3,372 in Boca Raton, FL versus $455 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 $20.00 versus $100 in Boca Raton, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,423 per month in Boca Raton, FL versus $925 in Chiang Mai – a 270% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $3,423 in Boca Raton, FL, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Boca Raton, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Boca Raton, FL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Boca Raton, FL 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 270% less than in Boca Raton, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.