Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cha-am and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cha-am: $880 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
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Cha-am Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$880

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cha-am and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cha-am and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $880 in Cha-am versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cha-am $880
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Cha-am versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cha-am $1,412
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Cha-am versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cha-am $1,944
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cha-am costs roughly 67% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cha-am is 35% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 ฿110

$20.77 $20.77

-84.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.60 ฿755

$84.6 $84.6

-73.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 ฿243

$12.32 $12.32

-40.99%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ฿68.1

$5.63 $5.63

-63.77%

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

$0.68 ฿22.66

$3.72 $3.72

-81.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.50

$2.50 $2.50

-86.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$8.05 $8.05

-70.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ฿100

$9.01 $9.01

-66.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ฿59.5

$1.12 $1.12

58.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿49.76

$3.75 $3.75

-60.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.43

$3.26 $3.26

-59.20%

Eggs

$1.95 ฿65.0

$4.17 $4.17

-53.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 ฿417

$12.90 $12.90

-3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 ฿85.0

$14.16 $14.16

-82.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 ฿341

$16.22 $16.22

-37.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 ฿118

$4.33 $4.33

-18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.86

$1.46 $1.46

-16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ฿62.5

$4.51 $4.51

-58.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.3

$4.34 $4.34

-59.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 ฿59.0

$2.58 $2.58

-31.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$2.35 $2.35

-53.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ฿38.80

$1.78 $1.78

-34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.07

$2.22 $2.22

-79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$9.88 $9.88

-56.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 ฿592

$15.08 $15.08

17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿57.8

$2.92 $2.92

-40.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ฿99.0

$3.46 $3.46

-14.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ฿30.63

$1.49 $1.49

-38.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.26 ฿744

$41.72 $41.72

-46.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ฿45.80

$2.73 $2.73

-49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.67

$1.66 $1.66

-35.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ฿121

$35.30 $35.30

-89.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ฿46.86

$0.95 $0.95

47.37%

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

$16.4K ฿546.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-54.60%

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

$27.1K ฿905.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

0.12%

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

$82.1 ฿2,744

$229 $229

-64.15%

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

$11.41 ฿381

$59.4 $59.4

-80.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 ฿791

$69.9 $69.9

-66.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.81 ฿796

$57.2 $57.2

-58.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 ฿194

$16.33 $16.33

-64.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ฿222

$14.28 $14.28

-53.43%

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

$609 ฿20.4K

$1,506 $1,506

-59.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ฿368.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-48.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ฿1,675

$52.8 $52.8

-5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.35 ฿981

$43.82 $43.82

-33.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ฿2,357

$84.8 $84.8

-16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ฿1,758

$103 $103

-48.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 ฿12.5K

$1,907 $1,907

-80.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ฿9,109

$1,274 $1,274

-78.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ฿25.1K

$3,664 $3,664

-79.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 ฿21.5K

$2,538 $2,538

-74.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$351 ฿11.7K

$5,121 $5,121

-93.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

6.79

-12.22%

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

Last update for Cha-am: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cha-am

$273 31%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 368% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Cha-am

$235 26.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 72% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cha-am

$117 13.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 206% $241

Eating Out

Cha-am

$94 10.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 275% $259

Clothing & Footwear

Cha-am

$91 10.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 40.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Cha-am

$37 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 131% $49

Getting Around

Cha-am

$33 3.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 79.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $373 in Cha-am and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1358% 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: $23.00 in Cha-am vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $405 per month, with Cha-am cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

12 h behind Cha-am

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,354

974,447

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cha-am Austin, TX 14,860 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cha-am
Austin, TX

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

Cha-am vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cha-am wins on cost – living expenses run 203% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cha-am the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1358% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $373 in Cha-am versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $880 per month in Cha-am versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cha-am runs roughly 87% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $880 in Cha-am versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cha-am but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cha-am the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Cha-am and Austin, TX 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 Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 203% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.