Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,212 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,212 per month in Denver, CO vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Denver, CO $3,212
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $4,651 per month in Denver, CO vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Denver, CO $4,651
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $6,090 per month in Denver, CO vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Denver, CO $6,090
Chiang Mai $1,914

Denver, CO costs about 242% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Denver, CO sits 138% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.26 ฿75.4

794.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 $85.2

$19.18 ฿641

343.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 $11.74

$5.59 ฿187

110.02%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$1.72 ฿57.6

237.21%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$0.64 ฿21.54

346.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.33 ฿11.18

596.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$2.36 ฿78.7

202.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.90 ฿130

108.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.05 ฿68.6

-44.88%

White Bread (500g)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.40 ฿46.70

290.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$1.28 ฿42.89

456.25%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.25 ฿75.3

123.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$16.94 ฿566

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$2.74 ฿91.6

518.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 $18.44

$9.36 ฿313

97.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.40 ฿80.3

112.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.01 ฿33.92

107.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.61 ฿53.9

192.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$1.52 ฿50.7

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.28 ฿42.90

101.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.11 ฿37.22

146.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.72 ฿24.09

230.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.52 ฿17.54

384.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$4.33 ฿145

146.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 $18.83

$17.73 ฿593

6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.63 ฿54.4

68.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.85 ฿95.3

27.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.85 ฿28.31

218.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 $87.0

$53.9 ฿1,801

61.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.17 ฿39.18

194.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.57 ฿19.00

201.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 $30.36

$2.37 ฿79.2

1181.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.45 ฿48.32

-29.66%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

70.14%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-3.52%

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

$166 $166

$62.3 ฿2,083

165.79%

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

$77.1 $77.1

$12.27 ฿410

528.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$19.97 ฿668

252.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 $60.6

$37.91 ฿1,267

59.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 $24.84

$3.76 ฿126

560.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$6.71 ฿224

126.08%

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

$2,375 $2,375

$797 ฿26.6K

198.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

126.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$53.3 ฿1,780

32.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 $45.74

$25.05 ฿837

82.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$91.6 ฿3,062

10.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$73.5 ฿2,455

77.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 $1,999

$464 ฿15.5K

330.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$305 ฿10.2K

459.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,250 $3,250

$915 ฿30.6K

255.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$552 ฿18.5K

384.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,737 $5,737

$1,912 ฿63.9K

200.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,680 $3,680

$1,438 ฿48.1K

155.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,540 $4,540

$595 ฿19.9K

662.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

5.57

23.88%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 82.1% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$500 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 52.4% $262

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$339 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 76.7% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$313 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 69.8% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$156 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 29.9% $47

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$110 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 44.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$91 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 43.5% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,999 in Denver, CO versus $464 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 run about 663% higher in Denver, CO, 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 $85.0 in Denver, CO versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $500 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

15:49 3:49 PM

13 h ahead of Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Denver, CO Chiang Mai 13,050 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
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

Denver, CO vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denver, CO costs about 242% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,818 per month in Denver, CO and $1,408 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,375 per month in Denver, CO and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 110% more in Denver, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Denver, CO at $3,212. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Denver, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,212 in Denver, CO. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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