Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eagan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,586 in Eagan, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Eagan
🇺🇸 United States
$2,586
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,586 per month in Eagan vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Eagan $2,586
  • Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,796 per month in Eagan vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Eagan $3,796
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $5,007 per month in Eagan vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Eagan $5,007
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

Eagan costs about 179% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Eagan sits 91% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.56 $18.56
$2.29 ฿76.5
710.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.5 $69.5
$19.64 ฿656
253.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.19 $12.19
$5.61 ฿188
117.29%
Cappuccino
$6.60 $6.60
$1.66 ฿55.6
297.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$0.70 ฿23.40
218.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 $1.46
$0.31 ฿10.24
370.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.41 ฿80.4
87.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.85 $7.85
$3.71 ฿124
111.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.95 ฿65.3
-53.85%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.41 ฿47.03
116.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.54 $6.54
$1.31 ฿43.62
399.24%
Eggs
$3.06 $3.06
$2.18 ฿72.9
40.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.72 $8.72
$16.65 ฿556
-47.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.15 $13.15
$2.76 ฿92.2
376.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.48 $17.48
$9.11 ฿304
91.88%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 $4.70
$2.39 ฿80.0
96.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.03 ฿34.26
74.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.63 ฿54.4
27.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$1.50 ฿50.0
248.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 $2.98
$1.29 ฿43.13
131.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.11 ฿37.03
72.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.72 ฿24.08
145.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 $2.43
$0.53 ฿17.59
358.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.39 $9.39
$4.31 ฿144
117.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.95 $15.95
$17.95 ฿600
-11.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.58 ฿52.9
82.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.77 $5.77
$2.84 ฿95.0
103.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$0.86 ฿28.86
127.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.0 $82.0
$53.3 ฿1,780
53.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 $4.90
$1.21 ฿40.29
304.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 $1.72
$0.57 ฿18.99
201.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.90 $23.90
$2.35 ฿78.6
917.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.44 ฿47.96
-40.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K $30.3K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
46.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
-8.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 $182
$62.3 ฿2,083
191.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$55.9 $55.9
$12.11 ฿405
361.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.5 $52.5
$19.94 ฿666
163.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.38 $41.38
$37.07 ฿1,239
11.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.52 $21.52
$3.78 ฿126
469.31%
Cinema Ticket
$16.25 $16.25
$6.50 ฿217
150.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,380 $1,380
$793 ฿26.5K
74.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.3K $31.3K
$14.8K ฿494.9K
111.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.17 $38.17
$53.7 ฿1,796
-28.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.00 $19.00
$24.62 ฿823
-22.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.5 $74.5
$90.9 ฿3,036
-18.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 $108
$71.1 ฿2,378
51.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 $1,614
$455 ฿15.2K
254.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,295 $1,295
$298 ฿9,954
334.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,467 $2,467
$908 ฿30.4K
171.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,158 $2,158
$554 ฿18.5K
289.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,642 $2,642
$1,931 ฿64.5K
36.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,147 $2,147
$1,445 ฿48.3K
48.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eagan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,378 $5,378
$591 ฿19.7K
810.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
5.57
19.57%

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

Last update for Eagan: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Eagan
$1.3K
Chiang Mai
$298 77% $998
Groceries & Markets
Eagan
$398
Chiang Mai
$235 40.8% $162
Eating Out
Eagan
$317
Chiang Mai
$79 75.2% $239
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eagan
$290
Chiang Mai
$94 67.5% $196
Clothing & Footwear
Eagan
$108
Chiang Mai
$108 0.3% $0.3
Getting Around
Eagan
$103
Chiang Mai
$61 41.2% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Eagan
$74
Chiang Mai
$50 32.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Eagan versus $455 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 810% higher in Eagan, 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 $69.0 in Eagan versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Eagan
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
00:22 12:22 AM
12:22 12:22 PM
12 h ahead of Eagan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
64,206
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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Eagan Chiang Mai 12,840 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Eagan
  • 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
Eagan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Eagan or Chiang Mai?
Eagan costs about 179% 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 Eagan and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,879 per month in Eagan and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Eagan or Chiang Mai?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Eagan and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $1,380 per month in Eagan and $793 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 Eagan or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 69% more in Eagan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Eagan or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Eagan at $2,586. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Eagan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Eagan or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,586 in Eagan. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Eagan compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Eagan or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Eagan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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