Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bryan, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,650 in Bryan, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Bryan, TX
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Bryan, TX Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Bryan, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bryan, TX

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 Bryan, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $2,650 in Bryan, TX.

Chiang Mai $935
Bryan, TX $2,650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $3,867 in Bryan, TX.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Bryan, TX $3,867

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $5,085 in Bryan, TX.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Bryan, TX $5,085

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 65% less than in Bryan, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Bryan, TX is 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$18.65 $18.65

-88.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$74.6 $74.6

-75.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$10.85 $10.85

-48.39%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.94 $4.94

-66.40%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$2.58 $2.58

-74.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$1.95 $1.95

-84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$6.02 $6.02

-61.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$6.96 $6.96

-47.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.04 $1.04

94.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$3.44 $3.44

-59.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$4.41 $4.41

-68.48%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.24 $4.24

-44.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$12.05 $12.05

37.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$11.53 $11.53

-76.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$15.42 $15.42

-41.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$4.93 $4.93

-51.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.61 $1.61

-35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$4.32 $4.32

-61.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$4.77 $4.77

-67.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$2.83 $2.83

-56.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$2.89 $2.89

-62.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$2.03 $2.03

-62.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$2.08 $2.08

-75.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$9.49 $9.49

-56.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$14.02 $14.02

27.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.85 $1.85

-12.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$3.27 $3.27

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.97 $1.97

-52.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$59.6 $59.6

-11.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$3.53 $3.53

-66.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$1.64 $1.64

-89.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$28.96 $28.96

-93.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$0.91 $0.91

61.54%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$29.1K $29.1K

-27.73%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.21%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$191 $191

-67.29%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$52.4 $52.4

-77.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$67.9 $67.9

-70.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$43.72 $43.72

-13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$13.63 $13.63

-52.24%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$1,316 $1,316

-44.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$23.9K $23.9K

-30.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$51.0 $51.0

4.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$39.43 $39.43

-37.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$86.9 $86.9

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$111 $111

-35.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,572 $1,572

-69.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,369 $1,369

-77.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$2,612 $2,612

-59.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$2,257 $2,257

-70.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$2,731 $2,731

-11.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$2,402 $2,402

-33.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.51

-14.44%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bryan, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Bryan, TX

$1.4K 51.7% 342% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Bryan, TX

$386 14.6% 63.1% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Bryan, TX

$130 4.9% 19.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bryan, TX

$312 11.8% 230% $217

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Bryan, TX

$303 11.4% 296% $227

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Bryan, TX

$79 3% 35% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Bryan, TX

$71 2.7% 39.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $1,572 in Bryan, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $75 in Bryan, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $386 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Bryan, TX

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

01:43 1:43 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

83,980

💱 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Bryan, 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

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

Chiang Mai is about 65% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $3,975 in Bryan, TX 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,572 in Bryan, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $1,316 in Bryan, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Bryan, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Bryan, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.