Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Oyster Bay, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,789 in Oyster Bay, NY, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Oyster Bay, NY
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Oyster Bay, NY Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Oyster Bay, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Oyster Bay, NY

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 Oyster Bay, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,789 in Oyster Bay, NY, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Oyster Bay, NY $2,789

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,148 in Oyster Bay, NY, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Oyster Bay, NY $4,148

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,507 in Oyster Bay, NY, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Oyster Bay, NY $5,507

Chiang Mai is about 66% cheaper than Oyster Bay, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Oyster Bay, NY is 106% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.2

$24.67 $24.67

-91.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿622

$101 $101

-81.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$13.09 $13.09

-57.22%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.5

$5.43 $5.43

-69.43%

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

$0.65 ฿21.59

$2.24 $2.24

-70.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.18

$1.58 $1.58

-81.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.5

$9.14 $9.14

-74.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$8.11 $8.11

-54.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.3

$1.30 $1.30

55.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.00

$4.25 $4.25

-66.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.46

$6.05 $6.05

-77.02%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.0

$5.98 $5.98

-60.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿551

$14.16 $14.16

16.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.1

$10.24 $10.24

-73.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿301

$20.11 $20.11

-55.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.1

$5.45 $5.45

-55.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.76

$1.74 $1.74

-40.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$4.24 $4.24

-60.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.0

$5.26 $5.26

-70.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.31

$2.98 $2.98

-58.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.27

$3.36 $3.36

-67.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.43

$2.92 $2.92

-73.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.16

$2.93 $2.93

-82.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$11.67 $11.67

-64.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿598

$15.13 $15.13

18.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$1.77 $1.77

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.2

$3.56 $3.56

-20.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.19

$2.29 $2.29

-59.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,766

$66.8 $66.8

-20.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.28

$2.95 $2.95

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.72

$2.10 $2.10

-91.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.5

$23.60 $23.60

-92.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.16

$1.16 $1.16

26.72%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$27.8K $27.8K

-24.47%

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

$26.5K ฿885.1K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.16%

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

$62.6 ฿2,088

$216 $216

-71.10%

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

$11.60 ฿387

$74.3 $74.3

-84.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿678

$66.1 $66.1

-69.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,264

$39.46 $39.46

-4.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿123

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿217

$15.24 $15.24

-57.28%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$1,732 $1,732

-58.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿553.2K

$20.5K $20.5K

-19.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,787

$49.05 $49.05

9.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿828

$58.5 $58.5

-57.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,017

$88.2 $88.2

2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,402

$148 $148

-51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,588 $1,588

-69.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.3K

$1,292 $1,292

-76.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.3K

$2,544 $2,544

-58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$2,107 $2,107

-68.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.7K

$2,751 $2,751

-12.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.7K

$2,351 $2,351

-31.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$6,945 $6,945

-91.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.72

-17.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Oyster Bay, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Oyster Bay, NY

$1.3K 46.3% 317% $982

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Oyster Bay, NY

$447 16% 89% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Oyster Bay, NY

$155 5.6% 42.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Oyster Bay, NY

$357 12.8% 278% $262

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Oyster Bay, NY

$379 13.6% 395% $302

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Oyster Bay, NY

$89 3.2% 52.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Oyster Bay, NY

$70 2.5% 37.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,588 in Oyster Bay, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Oyster Bay, NY are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $101 in Oyster Bay, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $447 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Oyster Bay, NY

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

09:56 9:56 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

301,332

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 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 Oyster Bay, NY 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Oyster Bay, NY

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 Oyster Bay, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oyster Bay, NY costs about 198% 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 $4,184 in Oyster Bay, NY. 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 $481 there versus $1,588 in Oyster Bay, NY.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,732 in Oyster Bay, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Oyster Bay, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,789 in Oyster Bay, NY. 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.

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