Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Los Alamos, NM despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Los Alamos, NM $1,060

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,643 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Los Alamos, NM $1,643

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,227 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Los Alamos, NM $2,227

Chiang Mai is about 13% cheaper than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Los Alamos, NM are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Los Alamos, NM 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$16.75 $16.75

-86.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$39.58 $39.58

-50.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.82 $9.82

-42.87%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.95 $4.95

-66.46%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.52 $2.52

-72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.53 $1.53

-79.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$5.91 $5.91

-59.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$6.89 $6.89

-46.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.95 $0.95

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.16 $2.16

-34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$4.62 $4.62

-71.65%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.01 $4.01

-45.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$11.89 $11.89

40.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$9.74 $9.74

-71.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$17.91 $17.91

-49.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$4.87 $4.87

-50.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.43 $1.43

-27.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.85 $2.85

-42.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$4.36 $4.36

-65.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.11 $1.11

16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$3.34 $3.34

-66.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$2.05 $2.05

-64.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.52 $0.52

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$11.00 $11.00

-60.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$13.84 $13.84

29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.46 $2.46

-35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$3.65 $3.65

-22.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.61 $3.61

-66.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.94 $1.94

-70.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$32.32 $32.32

-92.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.94 $0.94

53.19%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.0K $30.0K

-30.96%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.87%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$156 $156

-60.13%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$40.31 $40.31

-69.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$72.5 $72.5

-72.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$12.88 $12.88

-49.53%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$1,480 $1,480

-46.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

-40.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$20.09 $20.09

167.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$43.66 $43.66

-43.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$102 $102

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$117 $117

-39.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$1,101 $1,101

-58.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,926 $1,926

-52.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,369 $3,369

-42.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$3,369 $3,369

-57.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$8,167 $8,167

-92.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.57

-15.22%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3% 45.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12% 17.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4% 185% $175

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7% 259% $204

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3% 78.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4% 48.5% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1282% higher in Los Alamos, NM, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $342 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,179

💱 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 Los Alamos, NM 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Alamos, NM costs about 15% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,589 in Los Alamos, NM. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Los Alamos, NM, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Los Alamos, NM at $1,060. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Alamos, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Los Alamos, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.