Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Fort Worth, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Fort Worth, TX
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Fort Worth, TX Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Fort Worth, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Fort Worth, TX $2,668

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,930 in Fort Worth, TX, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Fort Worth, TX $3,930

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,191 in Fort Worth, TX, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Fort Worth, TX $5,191

Chiang Mai is about 65% cheaper than Fort Worth, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Fort Worth, TX is 96% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$17.82 $17.82

-87.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$52.2 $52.2

-63.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.83 $11.83

-53.09%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$6.25 $6.25

-73.28%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.90 $2.90

-77.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.43 $2.43

-87.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$5.55 $5.55

-57.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.82 $7.82

-53.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.87 $0.87

124.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$3.78 $3.78

-61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$5.11 $5.11

-73.97%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.68 $3.68

-38.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.68 $10.68

54.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$15.29 $15.29

-81.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$20.57 $20.57

-54.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$6.33 $6.33

-62.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$2.84 $2.84

-65.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$5.23 $5.23

-69.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.60 $4.60

-67.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$2.65 $2.65

-51.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$3.45 $3.45

-68.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.27 $2.27

-68.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$2.49 $2.49

-80.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.13 $10.13

-59.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$21.30 $21.30

-17.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.12 $2.12

-24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.37 $3.37

-17.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$1.94 $1.94

-55.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$76.8 $76.8

-29.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$2.92 $2.92

-60.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.69 $1.69

-68.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$24.22 $24.22

-90.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.00 $1.00

45.00%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-42.75%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

2.61%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$207 $207

-69.92%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$92.8 $92.8

-86.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$85.1 $85.1

-76.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$51.1 $51.1

-26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.17 $20.17

-81.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$14.84 $14.84

-56.27%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$1,937 $1,937

-62.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$27.6K $27.6K

-46.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$59.8 $59.8

-10.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$50.7 $50.7

-51.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$123 $123

-25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$135 $135

-46.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,694 $1,694

-71.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,165 $1,165

-73.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,785 $2,785

-63.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,023 $2,023

-68.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$3,904 $3,904

-39.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,872 $1,872

-15.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$4,416 $4,416

-86.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.62

-15.86%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Worth, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Fort Worth, TX

$1.2K 43.7% 277% $856

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Fort Worth, TX

$458 17.2% 95.6% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Fort Worth, TX

$166 6.2% 52.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Fort Worth, TX

$385 14.4% 307% $290

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Fort Worth, TX

$318 11.9% 310% $240

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Fort Worth, TX

$96 3.6% 56.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Fort Worth, TX

$81 3% 60.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,694 in Fort Worth, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fort Worth, TX are about 7.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Fort Worth, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $458 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Fort Worth, TX

🕒 Local time

11:54 11:54 AM

23:54 11:54 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

996,756

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Fort Worth, TX 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Fort Worth, 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 Fort Worth, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Worth, TX costs about 185% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,002 in Fort Worth, TX. 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 $482 there versus $1,694 in Fort Worth, TX.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,937 in Fort Worth, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Fort Worth, TX, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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