Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunswick, ME and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,678 in Brunswick, ME, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brunswick, ME, United States
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Brunswick, ME
🇺🇸 United States
$2,678
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,678 in Brunswick, ME versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

  • Brunswick, ME $2,678
  • Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,022 in Brunswick, ME versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

  • Brunswick, ME $4,022
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,366 in Brunswick, ME versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

  • Brunswick, ME $5,366
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Brunswick, ME is roughly 186% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brunswick, ME is 97% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.46 $25.46
$2.24 ฿75.7
1036.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$19.00 ฿642
519.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.94 $14.94
$5.55 ฿188
169.19%
Cappuccino
$6.36 $6.36
$1.67 ฿56.6
280.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 $3.13
$0.64 ฿21.56
389.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$0.31 ฿10.32
670.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.92 $7.92
$2.36 ฿79.6
235.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.16 $8.16
$3.66 ฿124
122.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.95 ฿65.8
-48.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.23 $3.23
$1.44 ฿48.51
124.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 $3.44
$1.33 ฿45.07
158.65%
Eggs
$2.45 $2.45
$2.28 ฿77.1
7.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.95 $12.95
$16.45 ฿556
-21.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 $10.24
$2.78 ฿94.0
268.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$9.31 ฿314
71.43%
Apples (1kg)
$4.65 $4.65
$2.35 ฿79.5
97.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 $1.47
$0.97 ฿32.82
51.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.53 $4.53
$1.60 ฿53.9
183.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.40 $6.40
$1.50 ฿50.7
326.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.32 $3.32
$1.28 ฿43.15
159.38%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 $3.63
$1.10 ฿37.22
230.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.44 $2.44
$0.71 ฿23.84
243.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 $1.93
$0.49 ฿16.38
293.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.97 $8.97
$4.14 ฿140
116.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.13 $13.13
$17.52 ฿592
-25.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.61 ฿54.5
-14.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.78 ฿94.0
-30.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.99 $1.99
$0.87 ฿29.33
128.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.7 $59.7
$54.1 ฿1,827
10.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.16 ฿39.08
74.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$0.53 ฿17.82
186.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.15 $11.15
$2.42 ฿81.8
360.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.45 ฿48.93
-28.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
27.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K $26.4K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
-2.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 $158
$62.2 ฿2,100
153.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.0 $68.0
$12.17 ฿411
458.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$78.1 $78.1
$20.12 ฿680
288.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.42 $35.42
$37.31 ฿1,260
-5.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.14 $14.14
$6.49 ฿219
117.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,242 $1,242
$736 ฿24.9K
68.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.6K $26.6K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
80.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 $52.0
$53.4 ฿1,802
-2.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$81.5 $81.5
$24.64 ฿832
230.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$91.5 ฿3,089
12.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 $132
$71.9 ฿2,429
83.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,557 $1,557
$482 ฿16.3K
222.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,292 $1,292
$309 ฿10.4K
318.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$1,006 ฿34.0K
151.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,076 $2,076
$633 ฿21.4K
227.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,959 $2,959
$2,363 ฿79.8K
25.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,310 $2,310
$1,589 ฿53.7K
45.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brunswick, ME
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,782 $4,782
$590 ฿19.9K
710.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
5.57
16.70%

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

Last update for Brunswick, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brunswick, ME
$1.3K
Chiang Mai
$309 76.1% $983
Eating Out
Brunswick, ME
$403
Chiang Mai
$78 80.7% $325
Groceries & Markets
Brunswick, ME
$373
Chiang Mai
$234 37.2% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brunswick, ME
$304
Chiang Mai
$94 68.9% $209
Clothing & Footwear
Brunswick, ME
$166
Chiang Mai
$109 34.5% $57
Getting Around
Brunswick, ME
$77
Chiang Mai
$61 20.6% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Brunswick, ME
$64
Chiang Mai
$50 21.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,557 in Brunswick, ME and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brunswick, ME pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $118 in Brunswick, ME vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brunswick, ME
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:37 5:37 PM
04:37 4:37 AM
11 h ahead of Brunswick, ME
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,287
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brunswick, ME Chiang Mai 12,950 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brunswick, ME
  • 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
Brunswick, ME vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Brunswick, ME?
Chiang Mai is about 65% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Brunswick, ME or Chiang Mai?
Average pay in Brunswick, ME is about 8.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Brunswick, ME and Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,557 in Brunswick, ME versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Brunswick, ME and in Chiang Mai?
All in, you’ll spend $2,678 per month in Brunswick, ME versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 9% less than in Brunswick, ME. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Brunswick, ME or in Chiang Mai?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Brunswick, ME or in Chiang Mai?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Brunswick, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Brunswick, ME vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?