Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $39,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,230 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,230
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $6,364 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,364
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $8,497 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,497
Chiang Mai $1,999

Brooklyn, NY costs about 352% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Brooklyn, NY sits 213% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$2.13 ฿71.8

856.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$18.62 ฿626

473.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$5.60 ฿188

111.79%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$1.66 ฿55.9

230.72%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$0.65 ฿21.75

306.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.30 ฿10.25

656.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.32 ฿78.1

237.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$3.67 ฿123

142.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.02 ฿67.8

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.41 ฿47.34

224.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$1.39 ฿46.79

405.04%

Eggs

$6.59 $6.59

$2.37 ฿79.6

178.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 $16.57

$16.52 ฿555

0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$2.67 ฿89.8

537.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$9.02 ฿303

121.29%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$2.40 ฿80.6

230.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.04 ฿35.01

253.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.66 ฿55.8

215.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$1.56 ฿52.4

287.18%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.24 ฿41.61

224.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.09 ฿36.53

339.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.76 ฿25.61

247.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.51 ฿17.29

376.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.04 $15.04

$4.12 ฿139

265.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.33 $21.33

$17.93 ฿603

18.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.62 ฿54.6

69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.82 ฿94.9

15.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.93 ฿31.42

216.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$183 $183

$52.9 ฿1,778

246.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.18 ฿39.56

150.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.17 ฿5.76

1158.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$1.81 ฿60.9

2255.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.47 ฿49.51

-22.45%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

48.65%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-2.32%

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

$219 $219

$62.6 ฿2,103

250.37%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$11.60 ฿390

421.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$20.30 ฿683

201.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$37.88 ฿1,274

223.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.28 $35.28

$3.70 ฿124

853.51%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$6.51 ฿219

208.14%

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

$3,022 $3,022

$727 ฿24.4K

315.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$52.2K $52.2K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

214.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$53.5 ฿1,800

30.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 $76.8

$24.80 ฿834

209.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$90.4 ฿3,039

34.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$72.0 ฿2,420

64.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$481 ฿16.2K

695.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$310 ฿10.4K

691.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,537 $7,537

$1,058 ฿35.6K

612.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$659 ฿22.1K

574.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K $12.4K

$2,418 ฿81.3K

412.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,713 $7,713

$1,609 ฿54.1K

379.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 $3,614

$595 ฿20.0K

507.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

5.57

21.72%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 87.4% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 56.9% $312

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 77.5% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.3% $246

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 71.9% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 37.8% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 68.7% $112

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY 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.

Salaries in Brooklyn, NY are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

06:13 6:13 AM

12 h ahead of Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Brooklyn, NY Chiang Mai 13,370 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, NY
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

Brooklyn, NY vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, $935 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 78% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,346 per month in Brooklyn, NY 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 $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 78% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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