Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ocean Shores, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Ocean Shores, WA
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Ocean Shores, WA Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ocean Shores, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ocean Shores, WA

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 Ocean Shores, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ocean Shores, WA $2,814

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,147 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ocean Shores, WA $4,147

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,480 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ocean Shores, WA $5,480

Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper than Ocean Shores, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Ocean Shores, WA is 107% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$24.79 $24.79

-90.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$101 $101

-81.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$15.22 $15.22

-63.53%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$6.77 $6.77

-75.33%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$3.15 $3.15

-79.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$3.14 $3.14

-90.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$8.13 $8.13

-70.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$8.16 $8.16

-55.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.15 $1.15

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$3.25 $3.25

-55.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$5.37 $5.37

-75.23%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.46 $3.46

-34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$11.19 $11.19

47.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.22 $6.22

-55.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.50 $16.50

-43.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$4.47 $4.47

-47.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.86 $1.86

-47.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$3.37 $3.37

-52.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$6.29 $6.29

-76.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$3.49 $3.49

-63.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$3.16 $3.16

-65.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.96 $1.96

-63.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$1.97 $1.97

-75.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$12.42 $12.42

-66.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$14.75 $14.75

18.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$2.18 $2.18

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.98 $1.98

40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$1.96 $1.96

-55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$59.7 $59.7

-9.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$2.67 $2.67

-56.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.72 $1.72

-69.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$29.49 $29.49

-91.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.42 $1.42

2.11%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$37.0K $37.0K

-43.12%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.63%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$302 $302

-79.38%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$68.6 $68.6

-82.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$87.5 $87.5

-77.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$35.13 $35.13

6.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$18.30 $18.30

-64.54%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$2,796 $2,796

-73.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$31.0K $31.0K

-52.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$80.0 $80.0

-33.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$55.3 $55.3

-55.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$127 $127

-28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$160 $160

-55.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,413 $1,413

-65.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,244 $1,244

-75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,604 $2,604

-61.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$2,071 $2,071

-69.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,770 $2,770

-14.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,491 $2,491

-36.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.89

-19.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ocean Shores, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ocean Shores, WA

$1.2K 44.2% 303% $935

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ocean Shores, WA

$365 13% 55.6% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ocean Shores, WA

$190 6.8% 75% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ocean Shores, WA

$458 16.3% 385% $363

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ocean Shores, WA

$407 14.5% 425% $330

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ocean Shores, WA

$79 2.8% 28.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ocean Shores, WA

$72 2.6% 42.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,413 in Ocean Shores, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $101 in Ocean Shores, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $365 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Ocean Shores, WA

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

18:04 6:04 PM

14 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

6,700

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ocean Shores, WA 11,520 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ocean Shores, WA

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 Ocean Shores, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ocean Shores, WA costs about 201% 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 $4,221 in Ocean Shores, WA. 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 $1,413 in Ocean Shores, WA.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,796 in Ocean Shores, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Ocean Shores, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA. 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 67% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.