Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,610 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,610

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Boise, ID vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,610
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,672
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,735 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Boise, ID $4,735
Chiang Mai $1,914

Boise, ID costs about 178% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Boise, ID sits 93% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$2.26 ฿75.4

775.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 $71.3

$19.18 ฿641

271.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$5.59 ฿187

133.81%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$1.72 ฿57.6

253.49%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$0.64 ฿21.54

323.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.33 ฿11.18

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$2.36 ฿78.7

193.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.90 ฿130

68.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.05 ฿68.6

-52.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.40 ฿46.70

167.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.28 ฿42.89

378.13%

Eggs

$4.42 $4.42

$2.25 ฿75.3

96.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$16.94 ฿566

-5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$2.74 ฿91.6

305.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$9.36 ฿313

84.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.40 ฿80.3

106.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.01 ฿33.92

74.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.61 ฿53.9

149.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.52 ฿50.7

215.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.28 ฿42.90

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.11 ฿37.22

132.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.72 ฿24.09

220.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.52 ฿17.54

365.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 $9.10

$4.33 ฿145

110.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$17.73 ฿593

-10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.63 ฿54.4

30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.85 ฿95.3

16.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.85 ฿28.31

78.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.35 $41.35

$53.9 ฿1,801

-23.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.17 ฿39.18

121.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.57 ฿19.00

157.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.87 $23.87

$2.37 ฿79.2

907.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.45 ฿48.32

-20.00%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

78.74%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-5.56%

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

$176 $176

$62.3 ฿2,083

182.59%

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

$56.1 $56.1

$12.27 ฿410

357.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$19.97 ฿668

276.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.55 $39.55

$37.91 ฿1,267

4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.29 $37.29

$3.76 ฿126

891.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 $12.60

$6.71 ฿224

87.78%

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

$959 $959

$797 ฿26.6K

20.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

62.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

-0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.26 $41.26

$25.05 ฿837

64.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$91.6 ฿3,062

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$73.5 ฿2,455

50.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$464 ฿15.5K

247.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$305 ฿10.2K

323.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 $2,489

$915 ฿30.6K

171.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$552 ฿18.5K

225.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$1,912 ฿63.9K

283.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,126 $3,126

$1,438 ฿48.1K

117.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,233 $4,233

$595 ฿19.9K

611.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

5.57

19.93%

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

Last update for Boise, ID: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.4%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 76.4% $984

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$422 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 43.5% $184

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$337 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 76.5% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$307 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 69.2% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$133 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 17.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$65 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 20.7% $13

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$57 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 6.9% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,613 in Boise, ID versus $464 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.

Salaries run about 611% higher in Boise, ID, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Boise, ID versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

02:54 2:54 AM

13 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

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Boise, ID Chiang Mai 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
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

Boise, ID vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 178% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,914 per month in Boise, ID and $1,408 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $959 per month in Boise, ID and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 77% more in Boise, ID, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Boise, ID at $2,610. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,610 in Boise, ID. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.