Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Quincy, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,379 in Quincy, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Quincy, IL, United States
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Quincy, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,379
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Quincy, IL

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 Quincy, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,379 in Quincy, IL, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Quincy, IL $2,379

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,427 in Quincy, IL, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Quincy, IL $3,427

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,476 in Quincy, IL, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Quincy, IL $4,476

Chiang Mai is about 61% cheaper than Quincy, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Quincy, IL is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿71.7
$14.75 $14.75
-85.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿625
$61.0 $61.0
-69.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿188
$10.18 $10.18
-44.99%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.9
$4.49 $4.49
-63.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.73
$2.24 $2.24
-70.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.24
$1.27 $1.27
-76.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.0
$3.04 $3.04
-23.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿123
$5.11 $5.11
-28.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿67.7
$0.75 $0.75
169.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.29
$2.41 $2.41
-41.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.75
$3.04 $3.04
-54.28%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.5
$3.04 $3.04
-22.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿555
$10.98 $10.98
50.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿89.7
$6.22 $6.22
-57.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿303
$10.93 $10.93
-17.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.6
$3.47 $3.47
-30.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿34.98
$1.43 $1.43
-27.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿55.7
$3.09 $3.09
-46.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.4
$4.45 $4.45
-64.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.57
$2.09 $2.09
-40.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.50
$2.21 $2.21
-50.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.59
$2.24 $2.24
-66.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.27
$1.21 $1.21
-57.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿138
$5.85 $5.85
-29.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿602
$15.18 $15.18
18.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.5
$2.16 $2.16
-25.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿94.8
$3.89 $3.89
-27.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.39
$1.78 $1.78
-47.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,777
$62.8 $62.8
-15.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.52
$2.54 $2.54
-53.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.76
$1.59 $1.59
-89.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿60.9
$30.94 $30.94
-94.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.47
$1.17 $1.17
25.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿705.8K
$27.4K $27.4K
-23.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿890.7K
$26.5K $26.5K
0.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,101
$235 $235
-73.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿390
$44.27 $44.27
-73.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿682
$68.7 $68.7
-70.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,272
$42.63 $42.63
-11.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿124
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿219
$8.36 $8.36
-22.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.4K
$330 $330
120.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿556.7K
$16.6K $16.6K
-0.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,798
$48.06 $48.06
11.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿833
$41.16 $41.16
-39.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,036
$34.97 $34.97
158.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,418
$98.4 $98.4
-26.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$1,569 $1,569
-69.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.4K
$1,254 $1,254
-75.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.5K
$1,299 $1,299
-18.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.1K
$2,116 $2,116
-68.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.2K
$2,928 $2,928
-17.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.0K
$1,992 $1,992
-19.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Quincy, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.0K
$1,468 $1,468
-59.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.82
-18.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Quincy, IL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Quincy, IL
$1.3K 305% $944
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Quincy, IL
$296 25.3% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Quincy, IL
$100 7.5% $8.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Quincy, IL
$348 268% $253
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Quincy, IL
$242 216% $165
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Quincy, IL
$80 37.1% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Quincy, IL
$59 16.6% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,569 in Quincy, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Quincy, IL are about 2.5 times higher, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $61 in Quincy, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $296 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇺🇸 Quincy, IL
🕒 Local time
17:41 5:41 PM
04:41 4:41 AM
13 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
92,271
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Quincy, IL 13,400 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Quincy, IL

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 Quincy, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Quincy, IL?
Quincy, IL costs about 154% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Quincy, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,569 in Quincy, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Quincy, IL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,569 in Quincy, IL.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Quincy, IL?
Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $330 in Quincy, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Quincy, IL?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Quincy, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Quincy, IL?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,379 in Quincy, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Quincy, IL?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,379 in Quincy, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Quincy, IL?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quincy, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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