Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cleveland, OH and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,409 in Cleveland, OH, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Cleveland, OH
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Cleveland, OH Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cleveland, OH and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cleveland, OH and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,409 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $2,409
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,602 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $3,602
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,794 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $4,794
Chiang Mai $1,979

Cleveland, OH costs about 158% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cleveland, OH sits 77% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$2.24 ฿75.5

707.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 $62.3

$19.00 ฿640

228.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 $11.05

$5.55 ฿187

99.10%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$1.67 ฿56.4

233.53%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$0.64 ฿21.51

314.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.31 ฿10.29

535.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.36 ฿79.5

158.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$3.66 ฿123

121.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.95 ฿65.7

-54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.44 ฿48.41

127.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.33 ฿44.97

232.33%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$2.28 ฿77.0

94.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$16.45 ฿554

-20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.16 $12.16

$2.78 ฿93.8

337.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 $19.88

$9.31 ฿314

113.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.35 ฿79.3

116.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$0.97 ฿32.75

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.60 ฿53.8

160.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.50 ฿50.6

156.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.28 ฿43.06

133.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.10 ฿37.14

188.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.71 ฿23.79

207.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.49 ฿16.34

330.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 $10.19

$4.14 ฿140

146.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$17.52 ฿590

-15.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.61 ฿54.4

49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.78 ฿93.8

33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.87 ฿29.27

194.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 $93.7

$54.1 ฿1,823

73.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.16 ฿39.00

139.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.53 ฿17.78

198.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 $25.45

$2.42 ฿81.6

951.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.45 ฿48.82

-26.21%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

71.42%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

-4.11%

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

$221 $221

$62.2 ฿2,095

256.22%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$12.17 ฿410

437.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$20.12 ฿678

263.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.34 $33.34

$37.31 ฿1,257

-10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.77 ฿127

-46.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 $13.50

$6.49 ฿219

108.01%

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

$1,007 $1,007

$736 ฿24.8K

36.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$14.8K ฿497.6K

24.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 $61.3

$53.4 ฿1,799

14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 $38.95

$24.64 ฿830

58.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 $99.0

$91.5 ฿3,083

8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$71.9 ฿2,424

64.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$482 ฿16.3K

239.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 $1,015

$309 ฿10.4K

228.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,068 $3,068

$1,006 ฿33.9K

204.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 $1,825

$633 ฿21.3K

188.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,969 $1,969

$2,363 ฿79.6K

-16.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,439 $1,439

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-9.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,644 $3,644

$590 ฿19.9K

517.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.57

18.31%

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

Last update for Cleveland, OH: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cleveland, OH

$1K 42.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 69.6% $706

Groceries & Markets

Cleveland, OH

$406 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 42.3% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cleveland, OH

$360 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 73.8% $265

Eating Out

Cleveland, OH

$310 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 75% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Cleveland, OH

$143 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 24% $34

Getting Around

Cleveland, OH

$115 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 46.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Cleveland, OH

$60 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 16.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,637 in Cleveland, OH versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cleveland, OH are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Cleveland, OH versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

13:51 1:51 PM

11 h ahead of Cleveland, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,991

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

THB to USD in detail →

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Cleveland, OH Chiang Mai 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cleveland, OH
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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

Cleveland, OH vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cleveland, OH costs about 158% 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 $3,614 per month in Cleveland, OH and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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 $1,637 in Cleveland, OH.

Kindergarten costs $1,007 per month in Cleveland, OH and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Cleveland, OH, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,409 in Cleveland, OH and $936 in Chiang Mai. 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, Cleveland, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.