Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldwell, TX and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,449 in Caldwell, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Caldwell, TX
Learn more

Caldwell, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Caldwell, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,449 in Caldwell, TX versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Caldwell, TX $2,449
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Caldwell, TX versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Caldwell, TX $3,548
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Caldwell, TX versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Caldwell, TX $4,647
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Caldwell, TX is roughly 162% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caldwell, TX is 80% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.88 $14.88

$2.24 ฿75.7

564.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 $60.4

$19.00 ฿642

217.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.55 ฿188

78.02%

Cappuccino

$3.97 $3.97

$1.67 ฿56.6

137.72%

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

$1.47 $1.47

$0.64 ฿21.56

129.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.31 ฿10.32

458.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.36 ฿79.6

117.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.66 ฿124

65.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.95 ฿65.8

-60.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.44 ฿48.51

88.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.33 ฿45.07

197.74%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$2.28 ฿77.1

28.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 $10.95

$16.45 ฿556

-33.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.64 $15.64

$2.78 ฿94.0

462.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.53 $24.53

$9.31 ฿314

163.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.35 ฿79.5

86.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.97 ฿32.82

82.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.60 ฿53.9

177.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.50 ฿50.7

77.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.28 ฿43.15

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.10 ฿37.22

57.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.71 ฿23.84

188.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.49 ฿16.38

304.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 $9.61

$4.14 ฿140

132.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 $10.68

$17.52 ฿592

-39.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.61 ฿54.5

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.78 ฿94.0

28.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.87 ฿29.33

125.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

$54.1 ฿1,827

-5.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.16 ฿39.08

187.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.53 ฿17.82

211.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.34 $26.34

$2.42 ฿81.8

988.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.45 ฿48.93

-35.17%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

25.77%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-5.62%

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

$173 $173

$62.2 ฿2,100

178.61%

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

$25.30 $25.30

$12.17 ฿411

107.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$20.12 ฿680

240.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 $40.60

$37.31 ฿1,260

8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.85 $9.85

$3.77 ฿127

161.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$6.49 ฿219

130.51%

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

$1,521 $1,521

$736 ฿24.9K

106.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

67.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 $22.35

$53.4 ฿1,802

-58.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$24.64 ฿832

127.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 $64.9

$91.5 ฿3,089

-29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 $96.4

$71.9 ฿2,429

33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$482 ฿16.3K

224.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$309 ฿10.4K

319.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,006 ฿34.0K

151.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 $2,115

$633 ฿21.4K

233.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$2,363 ฿79.8K

17.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,330 $2,330

$1,589 ฿53.7K

46.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,333 $1,333

$590 ฿19.9K

126.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.57

18.85%

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

Last update for Caldwell, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caldwell, TX

$1.3K 53%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 76.2% $988

Groceries & Markets

Caldwell, TX

$389 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 39.8% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caldwell, TX

$267 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.6% $173

Eating Out

Caldwell, TX

$247 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 68.6% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Caldwell, TX

$108 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 0.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Caldwell, TX

$70 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 12.9% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Caldwell, TX

$71 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 28.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Caldwell, TX and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caldwell, TX pays about 2.3 times 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: $60 in Caldwell, TX vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Caldwell, TX

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

18:07 6:07 PM

12 h ahead of Caldwell, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,996

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caldwell, TX Chiang Mai 14,280 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Caldwell, TX
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

Caldwell, TX vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Caldwell, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Caldwell, TX is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $1,565 in Caldwell, TX versus $482 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 $19 versus $60 in Caldwell, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,449 per month in Caldwell, TX versus $936 in Chiang Mai – a 162% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

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.

Safety-wise, Caldwell, TX 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.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Caldwell, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.