Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Novi, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,534 in Novi, MI, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Novi, MI
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Novi, MI Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Novi, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Novi, MI

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 Novi, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,534 in Novi, MI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Novi, MI $2,534

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,818 in Novi, MI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Novi, MI $3,818

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,101 in Novi, MI, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Novi, MI $5,101

Chiang Mai is about 63% cheaper than Novi, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Novi, MI is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$17.56 $17.56

-87.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$86.8 $86.8

-77.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$8.62 $8.62

-35.15%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.97 $3.97

-56.68%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.65 $2.65

-75.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.20 $2.20

-85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$6.43 $6.43

-63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$7.28 $7.28

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.92 $0.92

122.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$3.84 $3.84

-63.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$5.89 $5.89

-78.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.34 $3.34

-32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$21.88 $21.88

-22.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$16.76 $16.76

-83.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$24.35 $24.35

-61.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$6.53 $6.53

-63.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.88 $2.88

-64.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$4.28 $4.28

-62.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$4.62 $4.62

-67.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$3.01 $3.01

-57.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.94 $2.94

-62.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$2.12 $2.12

-66.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.95 $1.95

-73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$9.37 $9.37

-53.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$16.25 $16.25

9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.24 $2.24

-27.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.26 $3.26

-12.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.77 $1.77

-51.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$3.46 $3.46

-66.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.81 $1.81

-68.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$27.21 $27.21

-91.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.99 $0.99

46.46%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$31.0K $31.0K

-33.87%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.55%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$193 $193

-67.70%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$40.15 $40.15

-69.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$79.8 $79.8

-74.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$41.52 $41.52

-8.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$14.16 $14.16

-52.61%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$1,548 $1,548

-48.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$23.3K $23.3K

-36.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$46.14 $46.14

15.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$41.61 $41.61

-39.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$87.2 $87.2

5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$113 $113

-34.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$1,691 $1,691

-72.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$1,228 $1,228

-75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$2,953 $2,953

-69.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$2,138 $2,138

-74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,759 $2,759

-30.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$2,377 $2,377

-39.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$6,240 $6,240

-90.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.93

-19.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Novi, MI: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Novi, MI

$1.2K 48.5% 303% $923

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Novi, MI

$494 19.5% 108% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Novi, MI

$130 5.1% 18.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Novi, MI

$313 12.4% 231% $218

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Novi, MI

$280 11.1% 255% $201

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Novi, MI

$20 * 0.8% 68.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Novi, MI

$70 2.8% 36% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $1,691 in Novi, MI. 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 948% higher in Novi, MI, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $87.0 in Novi, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $494 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Novi, MI

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

22:51 10:51 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

66,243

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Novi, MI 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Novi, MI

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 Novi, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novi, MI costs about 170% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,801 in Novi, MI. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $87.0 in Novi, MI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 108% more in Novi, MI, 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 $938, than in Novi, MI at $2,534. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Novi, MI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,534 in Novi, MI. 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, Novi, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.