Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Atlantic City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Atlantic City, NJ, United States
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Atlantic City, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,815
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Atlantic City, NJ

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Atlantic City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Atlantic City, NJ $2,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $4,199 in Atlantic City, NJ.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Atlantic City, NJ $4,199

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $5,583 in Atlantic City, NJ.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Atlantic City, NJ $5,583

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 67% less than in Atlantic City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Atlantic City, NJ is 108% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿71.8
$19.66 $19.66
-89.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿626
$99.2 $99.2
-81.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿188
$11.30 $11.30
-50.44%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.9
$5.70 $5.70
-70.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.75
$2.26 $2.26
-71.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.25
$1.92 $1.92
-84.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.1
$5.83 $5.83
-60.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿123
$8.94 $8.94
-58.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿67.8
$1.20 $1.20
68.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.34
$3.41 $3.41
-58.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.79
$7.17 $7.17
-80.61%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.6
$4.34 $4.34
-45.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿555
$11.03 $11.03
49.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿89.8
$16.78 $16.78
-84.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿303
$20.36 $20.36
-55.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.6
$7.74 $7.74
-68.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.01
$3.81 $3.81
-72.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿55.8
$5.44 $5.44
-69.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.4
$6.11 $6.11
-74.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.61
$3.92 $3.92
-68.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.53
$4.69 $4.69
-76.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.61
$2.62 $2.62
-70.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.29
$2.43 $2.43
-79.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$14.24 $14.24
-71.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿603
$13.36 $13.36
34.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.6
$2.75 $2.75
-41.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿94.9
$3.25 $3.25
-13.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.42
$2.95 $2.95
-68.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,778
$90.0 $90.0
-41.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.56
$2.94 $2.94
-59.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.76
$2.22 $2.22
-92.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿60.9
$41.74 $41.74
-95.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.51
$0.89 $0.89
65.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿706.4K
$20.3K $20.3K
3.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿891.4K
$24.7K $24.7K
7.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,103
$223 $223
-71.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿390
$61.6 $61.6
-81.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿683
$61.2 $61.2
-66.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,274
$29.58 $29.58
28.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿124
$50.8 $50.8
-92.72%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿219
$16.85 $16.85
-61.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.4K
$494 $494
47.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿557.2K
$7,073 $7,073
134.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,800
$69.9 $69.9
-23.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿834
$31.16 $31.16
-20.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,039
$117 $117
-22.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,420
$120 $120
-40.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$1,762 $1,762
-72.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.4K
$1,323 $1,323
-76.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.6K
$2,377 $2,377
-55.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.1K
$2,132 $2,132
-69.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.3K
$4,349 $4,349
-44.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.1K
$4,265 $4,265
-62.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Atlantic City, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.0K
$4,006 $4,006
-85.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.78
-17.85%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Atlantic City, NJ
$1.3K 327% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Atlantic City, NJ
$492 108% $255
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Atlantic City, NJ
$152 40.6% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Atlantic City, NJ
$345 266% $251
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Atlantic City, NJ
$323 322% $247
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Atlantic City, NJ
$116 97.5% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Atlantic City, NJ
$63 24.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atlantic City, NJ pays about 6.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $99 in Atlantic City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $492 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ
🕒 Local time
02:53 2:53 AM
14:53 2:53 PM
12 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
39,958
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Atlantic City, NJ 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Atlantic City, NJ

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
Chiang Mai vs Atlantic City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Chiang Mai and in Atlantic City, NJ?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, so Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Atlantic City, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Atlantic City, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $99 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
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.
Where should expats move: Chiang Mai or Atlantic City, NJ?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Atlantic City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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