Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brooklyn, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $39,500 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
204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Brooklyn, NY $4,230

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,364 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Brooklyn, NY $6,364

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $8,497 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Brooklyn, NY $8,497

Chiang Mai is about 78% cheaper than Brooklyn, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Brooklyn, NY is 213% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$20.37 $20.37

-89.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$107 $107

-82.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$11.86 $11.86

-52.78%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$5.49 $5.49

-69.76%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$2.64 $2.64

-75.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$2.27 $2.27

-86.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$7.82 $7.82

-70.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$8.90 $8.90

-58.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.67 $1.67

20.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$4.58 $4.58

-69.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$7.02 $7.02

-80.20%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$6.59 $6.59

-64.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$16.57 $16.57

-0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$17.01 $17.01

-84.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$19.96 $19.96

-54.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$7.93 $7.93

-69.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$3.68 $3.68

-71.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$5.23 $5.23

-68.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$6.04 $6.04

-74.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$4.02 $4.02

-69.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$4.79 $4.79

-77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$2.64 $2.64

-71.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$2.43 $2.43

-79.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$15.04 $15.04

-72.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$21.33 $21.33

-15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$2.74 $2.74

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$3.26 $3.26

-13.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$2.94 $2.94

-68.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$183 $183

-71.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$2.96 $2.96

-60.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$2.14 $2.14

-92.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$42.63 $42.63

-95.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.14 $1.14

28.95%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$31.2K $31.2K

-32.73%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.37%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$219 $219

-71.46%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$60.5 $60.5

-80.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$61.3 $61.3

-66.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$123 $123

-69.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$35.28 $35.28

-89.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$20.06 $20.06

-67.55%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$3,022 $3,022

-75.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$52.2K $52.2K

-68.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$70.0 $70.0

-23.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$76.8 $76.8

-67.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$122 $122

-25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$118 $118

-39.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$3,827 $3,827

-87.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$2,454 $2,454

-87.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$7,537 $7,537

-85.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$4,441 $4,441

-85.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$12.4K $12.4K

-80.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$7,713 $7,713

-79.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$3,614 $3,614

-83.54%

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 Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58% 692% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13% 132% $312

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1% 60.8% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 261% $246

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 345% $264

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9% 255% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9% 220% $112

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brooklyn, NY are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $107 in Brooklyn, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $549 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,736,074

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Brooklyn, NY 13,370 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Brooklyn, 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 Brooklyn, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 78% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $6,346 in Brooklyn, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $107 in Brooklyn, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. That makes Chiang Mai about 78% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.