Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Crookston, MN and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,597 in Crookston, MN, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Crookston, MN, United States
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Crookston, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,597
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,597 per month in Crookston, MN vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Crookston, MN $2,597
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,793 per month in Crookston, MN vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Crookston, MN $3,793
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,989 per month in Crookston, MN vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Crookston, MN $4,989
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Crookston, MN costs about 178% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Crookston, MN sits 91% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.84 $19.84
$2.24 ฿75.5
785.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.4 $72.4
$19.00 ฿640
280.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.95 $10.95
$5.55 ฿187
97.30%
Cappuccino
$5.54 $5.54
$1.67 ฿56.4
231.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 $2.96
$0.64 ฿21.51
362.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.31 ฿10.29
596.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.90 $6.90
$2.36 ฿79.5
192.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 $6.63
$3.66 ฿123
81.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.95 ฿65.7
-45.13%
White Bread (500g)
$3.61 $3.61
$1.44 ฿48.41
150.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$1.33 ฿44.97
222.56%
Eggs
$4.24 $4.24
$2.28 ฿77.0
85.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.31 $12.31
$16.45 ฿554
-25.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 $11.46
$2.78 ฿93.8
312.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.73 $16.73
$9.31 ฿314
79.70%
Apples (1kg)
$5.05 $5.05
$2.35 ฿79.3
114.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 $1.57
$0.97 ฿32.75
61.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$1.60 ฿53.8
167.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.57 $4.57
$1.50 ฿50.6
204.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.71 $2.71
$1.28 ฿43.06
111.72%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 $3.03
$1.10 ฿37.14
175.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$0.71 ฿23.79
195.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.30 $2.30
$0.49 ฿16.34
369.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.86 $10.86
$4.14 ฿140
162.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.10 $15.10
$17.52 ฿590
-13.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.61 ฿54.4
21.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 $3.31
$2.78 ฿93.8
19.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 $1.97
$0.87 ฿29.27
126.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.7 $59.7
$54.1 ฿1,823
10.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.16 ฿39.00
152.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 $1.48
$0.53 ฿17.78
179.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.23 $34.23
$2.42 ฿81.6
1314.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.45 ฿48.82
-28.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K $28.5K
$21.1K ฿709.7K
35.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K $26.4K
$26.9K ฿907.9K
-1.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 $201
$62.2 ฿2,095
223.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.2 $58.2
$12.17 ฿410
378.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.1 $70.1
$20.12 ฿678
248.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.39 $39.39
$37.31 ฿1,257
5.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.63 $13.63
$6.49 ฿219
110.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,381 $1,381
$736 ฿24.8K
87.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K $23.9K
$14.8K ฿497.6K
61.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.4 $52.4
$53.4 ฿1,799
-1.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.80 $40.80
$24.64 ฿830
65.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 $87.8
$91.5 ฿3,083
-4.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$71.9 ฿2,424
57.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,552 $1,552
$482 ฿16.3K
221.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,267 $1,267
$309 ฿10.4K
310.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,523 $2,523
$1,006 ฿33.9K
150.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,086 $2,086
$633 ฿21.3K
229.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,998 $2,998
$2,363 ฿79.6K
26.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,328 $2,328
$1,589 ฿53.6K
46.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Crookston, MN
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,527 $3,527
$590 ฿19.9K
497.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
5.57
17.95%

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

Last update for Crookston, MN: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Crookston, MN
$1.3K
Chiang Mai
$309 75.6% $959
Groceries & Markets
Crookston, MN
$397
Chiang Mai
$234 40.9% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crookston, MN
$329
Chiang Mai
$94 71.3% $235
Eating Out
Crookston, MN
$326
Chiang Mai
$78 76.2% $249
Clothing & Footwear
Crookston, MN
$132
Chiang Mai
$109 18% $24
Getting Around
Crookston, MN
$78
Chiang Mai
$61 21.2% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Crookston, MN
$67
Chiang Mai
$50 24.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,552 in Crookston, MN 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 Crookston, MN are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Crookston, MN versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Crookston, MN
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
00:28 12:28 AM
12:28 12:28 PM
12 h ahead of Crookston, MN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,500
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Crookston, MN Chiang Mai 12,450 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Crookston, MN
  • Chiang Mai

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
Crookston, MN vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Crookston, MN or Chiang Mai?
Crookston, MN costs about 178% 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 Crookston, MN and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,895 per month in Crookston, MN and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Crookston, MN or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,552 in Crookston, MN.
How do childcare costs compare in Crookston, MN and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $1,381 per month in Crookston, MN and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Crookston, MN or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 69% more in Crookston, MN, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Crookston, MN or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,597 in Crookston, MN and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
How safe is Crookston, MN compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Crookston, MN or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Crookston, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Crookston, MN vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?