Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hilo, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Hilo, HI $2,865

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,388 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Hilo, HI $4,388

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,910 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Hilo, HI $5,910

Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Hilo, HI is 112% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$20.77 $20.77

-89.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$79.9 $79.9

-76.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$12.17 $12.17

-53.99%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$5.63 $5.63

-70.52%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$2.90 $2.90

-77.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$2.42 $2.42

-87.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$6.32 $6.32

-63.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$7.57 $7.57

-51.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.75 $1.75

15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$10.08 $10.08

-86.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$4.28 $4.28

-67.52%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$7.07 $7.07

-66.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$19.98 $19.98

-17.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$17.57 $17.57

-84.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$30.15 $30.15

-70.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$8.57 $8.57

-72.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$2.39 $2.39

-56.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$10.48 $10.48

-84.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$12.21 $12.21

-87.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$9.04 $9.04

-86.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$7.81 $7.81

-86.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$5.36 $5.36

-85.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$3.02 $3.02

-83.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$11.90 $11.90

-65.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$22.03 $22.03

-18.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.76 $1.76

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$2.95 $2.95

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$2.00 $2.00

-91.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$23.57 $23.57

-92.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.41 $1.41

4.26%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

-17.62%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

1.84%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$302 $302

-79.28%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$67.7 $67.7

-82.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$125 $125

-83.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$37.04 $37.04

2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$25.30 $25.30

-85.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$13.24 $13.24

-50.83%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$11.8K $11.8K

40.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$36.77 $36.77

45.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$29.88 $29.88

-17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$66.8 $66.8

35.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$83.9 $83.9

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,463 $1,463

-67.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$1,142 $1,142

-72.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$2,574 $2,574

-58.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$2,199 $2,199

-70.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$5,600 $5,600

-56.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$4,662 $4,662

-65.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$3,795 $3,795

-84.33%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hilo, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9% 269% $832

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25% 202% $479

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4% 9.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3% 424% $401

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8% 342% $262

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5% 77.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2% 24.8% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,463 in Hilo, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hilo, HI are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $80 in Hilo, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $715 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

01:29 1:29 AM

17 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

44,186

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Hilo, HI 10,880 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilo, HI costs about 206% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $4,297 in Hilo, HI. 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 $1,463 in Hilo, HI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,865 in Hilo, HI. That makes Chiang Mai about 67% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 202% more in Hilo, HI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,865 in Hilo, HI. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,865 in Hilo, HI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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