Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and University Place, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,876 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 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 University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in University Place, 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 University Place, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,876 in University Place, WA, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
University Place, WA $2,876

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,279 in University Place, WA, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
University Place, WA $4,279

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,682 in University Place, WA, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
University Place, WA $5,682

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while University Place, WA is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$23.38 $23.38

-90.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$101 $101

-81.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$12.15 $12.15

-53.91%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$6.08 $6.08

-72.70%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$3.12 $3.12

-79.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$3.14 $3.14

-90.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$7.93 $7.93

-70.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$7.86 $7.86

-53.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.10 $1.10

83.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$4.05 $4.05

-65.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$5.95 $5.95

-76.64%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$4.97 $4.97

-52.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$16.11 $16.11

2.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$18.19 $18.19

-85.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$23.33 $23.33

-61.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$5.91 $5.91

-59.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.77 $1.77

-41.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$5.55 $5.55

-70.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$4.48 $4.48

-65.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$3.48 $3.48

-64.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$2.82 $2.82

-61.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$1.96 $1.96

-61.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$3.06 $3.06

-83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$12.43 $12.43

-66.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$18.17 $18.17

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.75 $1.75

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$4.95 $4.95

-43.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$2.13 $2.13

-56.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$65.8 $65.8

-19.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$2.66 $2.66

-55.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.70 $1.70

-90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$30.49 $30.49

-94.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.45 $1.45

1.38%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

-24.69%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.09%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$233 $233

-73.15%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$68.7 $68.7

-83.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$88.6 $88.6

-77.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$39.56 $39.56

-4.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$17.88 $17.88

-63.59%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$2,087 $2,087

-65.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

-40.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$60.3 $60.3

-11.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$44.90 $44.90

-44.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$130 $130

-30.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$127 $127

-43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,573 $1,573

-69.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,280 $1,280

-75.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,599 $2,599

-59.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$2,111 $2,111

-68.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$2,918 $2,918

-17.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$2,644 $2,644

-39.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$8,149 $8,149

-92.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.64

-16.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for University Place, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

University Place, WA

$1.3K 44.5% 313% $970

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

University Place, WA

$505 17.6% 113% $268

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

University Place, WA

$163 5.7% 50.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

University Place, WA

$390 13.6% 313% $296

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

University Place, WA

$377 13.1% 392% $300

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

University Place, WA

$85 3% 45.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

University Place, WA

$75 2.6% 48% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,573 in University Place, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in University Place, WA are about 14 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 University Place, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $505 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

10:57 10:57 AM

15 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

34,866

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai University Place, WA 11,580 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
University Place, 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 University Place, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

University Place, WA costs about 207% 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 $4,314 in University Place, 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 $481 there versus $1,573 in University Place, WA.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,087 in University Place, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 113% more in University Place, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,876 in University Place, 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.

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