Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lihue, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,194 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,194 in Lihue, HI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Lihue, HI $3,194

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,556 in Lihue, HI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Lihue, HI $5,556

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $7,919 in Lihue, HI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Lihue, HI $7,919

Chiang Mai is about 71% cheaper than Lihue, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Lihue, HI is 135% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$25.32 $25.32

-91.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$111 $111

-82.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$13.03 $13.03

-57.41%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$6.55 $6.55

-74.50%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$3.82 $3.82

-83.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$2.46 $2.46

-87.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.88 $6.88

-65.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.91 $7.91

-53.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.88 $1.88

3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$6.56 $6.56

-78.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.81 $2.81

-52.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$10.19 $10.19

-77.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$15.42 $15.42

6.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$15.17 $15.17

-81.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$20.13 $20.13

-53.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.78 $4.78

-50.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$3.33 $3.33

-70.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$8.59 $8.59

-81.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$10.13 $10.13

-85.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$5.05 $5.05

-74.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$6.33 $6.33

-82.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$12.17 $12.17

-65.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$15.81 $15.81

10.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.70 $1.70

-5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.69 $1.69

64.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.97 $1.97

-55.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$52.9 $52.9

2.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$7.88 $7.88

-85.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.90 $1.90

-72.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$15.25 $15.25

-84.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.30 $1.30

11.54%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

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

$12.17 ฿411

$30.21 $30.21

-59.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$60.6 $60.6

-66.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$91.9 $91.9

-59.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.01 $9.01

-27.97%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$1,200 $1,200

-38.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$16.2K $16.2K

-9.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$2,353 $2,353

-79.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$2,000 $2,000

-84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$5,245 $5,245

-80.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$4,812 $4,812

-86.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,987 $1,987

-70.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.69

-16.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Lihue, HI

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Lihue, HI

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Lihue, HI

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Lihue, HI

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Lihue, HI

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Lihue, HI

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Lihue, HI

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $2,353 in Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI are about 3.4 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $111 in Lihue, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $519 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

03:06 3:06 AM

17 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

8,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Lihue, HI 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lihue, 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 Lihue, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lihue, HI costs about 241% 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 $4,790 in Lihue, 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 $482 there versus $2,353 in Lihue, HI.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $111 in Lihue, HI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 122% more in Lihue, HI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,194 in Lihue, HI. 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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