Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brookhaven, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Brookhaven, NY
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Brookhaven, NY Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Brookhaven, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Brookhaven, NY

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 Brookhaven, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY.

Chiang Mai $925
Brookhaven, NY $2,722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $4,065 in Brookhaven, NY.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Brookhaven, NY $4,065

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $5,408 in Brookhaven, NY.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Brookhaven, NY $5,408

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 66% less than in Brookhaven, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 32% below, Brookhaven, NY is 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$24.74 $24.74

-90.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$98.9 $98.9

-80.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$11.20 $11.20

-49.91%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$5.35 $5.35

-68.97%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.24 $2.24

-68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.54 $1.54

-79.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$8.01 $8.01

-69.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$8.20 $8.20

-54.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.26 $1.26

54.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$4.31 $4.31

-67.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$7.76 $7.76

-83.12%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$5.75 $5.75

-62.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.61 $12.61

32.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$11.62 $11.62

-76.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$17.07 $17.07

-46.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$5.54 $5.54

-56.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.73 $1.73

-40.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$6.16 $6.16

-73.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$6.14 $6.14

-75.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$5.47 $5.47

-76.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$3.77 $3.77

-70.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$2.79 $2.79

-74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$2.94 $2.94

-81.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$11.50 $11.50

-62.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$24.08 $24.08

-25.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.71 $1.71

-7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$5.49 $5.49

-48.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.86 $1.86

-53.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.93 $2.93

-58.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$2.03 $2.03

-71.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$23.54 $23.54

-90.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.10 $1.10

30.91%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

-24.83%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.34%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$211 $211

-70.43%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$75.6 $75.6

-83.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$64.3 $64.3

-69.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$40.96 $40.96

-9.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$14.76 $14.76

-55.96%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$2,237 $2,237

-64.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$23.6K $23.6K

-37.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$41.13 $41.13

30.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$56.5 $56.5

-56.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$76.1 $76.1

19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$158 $158

-54.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$1,587 $1,587

-71.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$1,275 $1,275

-76.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$2,527 $2,527

-64.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$2,118 $2,118

-73.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,099 $3,099

-37.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,127 $2,127

-32.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Brookhaven, NY: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Brookhaven, NY

$1.3K 46.9% 328% $977

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Brookhaven, NY

$489 18% 108% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Brookhaven, NY

$149 5.5% 38% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Brookhaven, NY

$351 12.9% 272% $256

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Brookhaven, NY

$367 13.5% 367% $289

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Brookhaven, NY

$21 * 0.8% 66.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Brookhaven, NY

$70 2.6% 40.8% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $99.0 in Brookhaven, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $489 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Brookhaven, NY

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

10:54 10:54 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

11,674

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Brookhaven, NY 13,340 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Brookhaven, NY

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 Brookhaven, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 194% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,388 in Chiang Mai and $4,083 in Brookhaven, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Brookhaven, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $925 per month in Chiang Mai versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY – a 194% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brookhaven, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brookhaven, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Brookhaven, NY 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 194% less than in Brookhaven, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.