Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edison, NJ and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,122 in Edison, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

151

Cost of Living Index in Edison, NJ
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Edison, NJ Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,122

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,122 per month in Edison, NJ vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Edison, NJ $3,122
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,397 per month in Edison, NJ vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Edison, NJ $4,397
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,671 per month in Edison, NJ vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Edison, NJ $5,671
Chiang Mai $1,979

Edison, NJ costs about 234% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Edison, NJ sits 129% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$2.24 ฿75.7

715.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$19.00 ฿642

214.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$5.55 ฿188

65.23%

Cappuccino

$4.08 $4.08

$1.67 ฿56.6

144.31%

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

$1.03 $1.03

$0.64 ฿21.56

60.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.31 ฿10.32

216.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.36 ฿79.6

45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.66 ฿124

86.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.95 ฿65.8

-48.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.44 ฿48.51

123.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$1.33 ฿45.07

361.65%

Eggs

$2.54 $2.54

$2.28 ฿77.1

11.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$16.45 ฿556

-17.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$2.78 ฿94.0

271.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.70 $19.70

$9.31 ฿314

111.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.35 ฿79.5

152.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.97 ฿32.82

58.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.60 ฿53.9

170.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.50 ฿50.7

260.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.28 ฿43.15

135.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.10 ฿37.22

182.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 $3.10

$0.71 ฿23.84

336.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.49 ฿16.38

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.14 ฿140

142.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$17.52 ฿592

-15.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.61 ฿54.5

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.78 ฿94.0

27.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.84 $5.84

$0.87 ฿29.33

571.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$199 $199

$54.1 ฿1,827

267.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.16 ฿39.08

162.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.53 ฿17.82

71.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 $42.35

$2.42 ฿81.8

1650.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.45 ฿48.93

-37.93%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

30.41%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-2.16%

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

$170 $170

$62.2 ฿2,100

174.04%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$12.17 ฿411

322.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 $50.6

$20.12 ฿680

151.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.98 $21.98

$37.31 ฿1,260

-41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$6.49 ฿219

130.82%

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

$2,006 $2,006

$736 ฿24.9K

172.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

6.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$53.4 ฿1,802

-4.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 $80.2

$24.64 ฿832

225.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 $61.1

$91.5 ฿3,089

-33.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 $88.5

$71.9 ฿2,429

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 $2,171

$482 ฿16.3K

350.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 $1,772

$309 ฿10.4K

473.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,006 ฿34.0K

211.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,722 $2,722

$633 ฿21.4K

329.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,960 $6,960

$590 ฿19.9K

1080.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

5.57

15.26%

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

Last update for Edison, NJ: 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

Edison, NJ

$1.8K 56.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 82.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Edison, NJ

$408 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 42.5% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edison, NJ

$272 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 65.3% $178

Eating Out

Edison, NJ

$261 8.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 70.3% $184

Getting Around

Edison, NJ

$230 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 73.3% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Edison, NJ

$126 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 14% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Edison, NJ

$52 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 3.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,171 in Edison, NJ 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 Edison, NJ are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Edison, NJ versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $408 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Edison, NJ

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

03:37 3:37 AM

11 h ahead of Edison, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,588

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Edison, NJ Chiang Mai 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Edison, NJ
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

Edison, NJ vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edison, NJ costs about 234% 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 $4,682 per month in Edison, NJ 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 $2,171 in Edison, NJ.

Kindergarten costs $2,006 per month in Edison, NJ 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 74% more in Edison, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,122 in Edison, NJ 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, Edison, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.