Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and New Bern, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,061 in New Bern, NC, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
100

Cost of Living Index in New Bern, NC
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New Bern, NC Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

New Bern, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in New Bern, NC

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 New Bern, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,061 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
New Bern, NC $2,061

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,317 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
New Bern, NC $3,317

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,573 in New Bern, NC, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
New Bern, NC $4,573

Chiang Mai is about 55% cheaper than New Bern, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while New Bern, NC is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$18.15 $18.15

-87.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$86.1 $86.1

-77.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.90 $11.90

-53.36%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$5.19 $5.19

-67.82%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.93 $2.93

-78.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.40 $2.40

-87.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.03 $6.03

-60.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.20 $7.20

-49.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.95 $0.95

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$3.31 $3.31

-56.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$5.09 $5.09

-73.87%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.41 $3.41

-33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$13.01 $13.01

26.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$10.69 $10.69

-73.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.17 $15.17

-38.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$5.25 $5.25

-55.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.30 $1.30

-25.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.91 $2.91

-45.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$5.53 $5.53

-72.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.82 $2.82

-54.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.85 $2.85

-61.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.82 $1.82

-60.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$2.21 $2.21

-77.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$7.37 $7.37

-43.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$12.47 $12.47

40.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.87 $1.87

-13.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.13 $2.13

30.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$3.40 $3.40

-65.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$2.30 $2.30

-76.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$32.86 $32.86

-92.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.81 $0.81

79.01%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$28.3K $28.3K

-25.54%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$23.4K $23.4K

15.33%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$156 $156

-60.11%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$71.7 $71.7

-83.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$67.7 $67.7

-70.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$55.6 $55.6

-32.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.18 $11.18

-41.95%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$60.5 $60.5

-11.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$35.32 $35.32

-30.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$83.9 $83.9

9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$87.7 $87.7

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,153 $1,153

-58.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$869 $869

-64.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,198 $2,198

-54.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,847 $1,847

-65.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,056 $2,056

14.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,078 $2,078

-23.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,658 $3,658

-83.88%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for New Bern, NC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

New Bern, NC

$869 42.2% 181% $560

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

New Bern, NC

$374 18.2% 59.8% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

New Bern, NC

$120 5.8% 10.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

New Bern, NC

$295 14.3% 213% $201

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

New Bern, NC

$309 15% 298% $231

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

New Bern, NC

$15 * 0.7% 75.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

New Bern, NC

$78 3.8% 55% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,153 in New Bern, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New Bern, NC are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $86 in New Bern, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $374 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 New Bern, NC

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

20:07 8:07 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

31,291

💱 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 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 New Bern, NC 14,010 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
New Bern, NC

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 New Bern, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Bern, NC costs about 120% 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 $3,091 in New Bern, NC. 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 $1,153 in New Bern, NC.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,061 in New Bern, NC. That makes Chiang Mai about 55% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 60% more in New Bern, NC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,061 in New Bern, NC. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,061 in New Bern, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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