Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Perth Amboy, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,497 in Perth Amboy, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Perth Amboy, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Perth Amboy, NJ

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 Perth Amboy, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,497 in Perth Amboy, NJ, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Perth Amboy, NJ $2,497

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,699 in Perth Amboy, NJ, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Perth Amboy, NJ $3,699

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,901 in Perth Amboy, NJ, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Perth Amboy, NJ $4,901

Chiang Mai is about 63% cheaper than Perth Amboy, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Perth Amboy, NJ is 85% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$18.95 $18.95

-88.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$78.7 $78.7

-76.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$12.92 $12.92

-56.66%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$6.20 $6.20

-73.23%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$2.57 $2.57

-74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.52 $1.52

-80.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$8.96 $8.96

-74.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$6.83 $6.83

-46.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.14 $1.14

77.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$2.24 $2.24

-37.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$6.16 $6.16

-77.44%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.94 $2.94

-19.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$14.22 $14.22

16.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$10.44 $10.44

-74.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$19.88 $19.88

-54.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$6.14 $6.14

-60.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$3.48 $3.48

-70.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$4.19 $4.19

-60.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$5.20 $5.20

-70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.46 $1.46

-15.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.39 $1.39

-21.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.47 $1.47

-48.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$2.92 $2.92

-82.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$14.82 $14.82

-72.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$11.85 $11.85

51.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.77 $1.77

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$3.64 $3.64

-22.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.79 $1.79

-48.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$57.9 $57.9

-8.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$3.05 $3.05

-61.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$2.14 $2.14

-92.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$41.29 $41.29

-95.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.07 $1.07

37.38%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

-23.82%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

1.88%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$171 $171

-63.45%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$23.96 $23.96

-51.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$49.92 $49.92

-59.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$39.57 $39.57

-4.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$18.29 $18.29

-64.41%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$1,741 $1,741

-58.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$20.4K $20.4K

-18.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$32.70 $32.70

63.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$41.16 $41.16

-39.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$77.3 $77.3

16.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$97.5 $97.5

-26.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,604 $1,604

-70.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,239 $1,239

-74.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,931 $2,931

-63.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$2,063 $2,063

-68.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$2,800 $2,800

-13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$2,609 $2,609

-38.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$3,333 $3,333

-82.15%

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 Perth Amboy, NJ: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$1.2K 49.6% 300% $929

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$407 16.3% 72% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$112 4.5% 3.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$245 9.8% 159% $151

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$340 13.6% 344% $263

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$79 3.2% 34.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$76 3.1% 49.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,604 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Perth Amboy, NJ are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $79 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $407 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 Perth Amboy, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:41 5:41 PM

05:41 5:41 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

48,607

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Perth Amboy, NJ 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Perth Amboy, NJ

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 Perth Amboy, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth Amboy, NJ costs about 167% 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 $3,746 in Perth Amboy, NJ. 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 $1,604 in Perth Amboy, NJ.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,741 in Perth Amboy, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Perth Amboy, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,497 in Perth Amboy, NJ. 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.

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