Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $35,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,894 per month in Fort Lee, NJ vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,894
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $6,154 per month in Fort Lee, NJ vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,154
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $8,415 per month in Fort Lee, NJ vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,415
Chiang Mai $1,979

Fort Lee, NJ costs about 316% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fort Lee, NJ sits 186% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$2.24 ฿75.7

1017.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$19.00 ฿642

327.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$5.55 ฿188

97.30%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$1.67 ฿56.6

220.36%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$0.64 ฿21.56

242.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.31 ฿10.32

390.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$2.36 ฿79.6

246.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.66 ฿124

119.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.95 ฿65.8

-31.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.44 ฿48.51

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.33 ฿45.07

410.53%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$2.28 ฿77.1

103.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$16.45 ฿556

-23.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$2.78 ฿94.0

326.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$9.31 ฿314

87.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.35 ฿79.5

131.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.97 ฿32.82

82.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$1.60 ฿53.9

291.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.50 ฿50.7

261.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.28 ฿43.15

217.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.10 ฿37.22

256.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.71 ฿23.84

308.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.49 ฿16.38

457.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$4.14 ฿140

184.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$17.52 ฿592

-32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.61 ฿54.5

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.78 ฿94.0

-26.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.87 ฿29.33

211.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

$54.1 ฿1,827

149.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.16 ฿39.08

159.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.53 ฿17.82

296.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$2.42 ฿81.8

897.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.45 ฿48.93

-40.69%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

31.02%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-1.81%

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

$215 $215

$62.2 ฿2,100

246.41%

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

$75.8 $75.8

$12.17 ฿411

522.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$20.12 ฿680

218.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$37.31 ฿1,260

239.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$6.49 ฿219

124.19%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$736 ฿24.9K

175.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

61.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.93 $41.93

$53.4 ฿1,802

-21.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$24.64 ฿832

133.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$91.5 ฿3,089

-15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$71.9 ฿2,429

17.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$482 ฿16.3K

506.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$309 ฿10.4K

644.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 $6,548

$1,006 ฿34.0K

550.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$633 ฿21.4K

676.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$2,363 ฿79.8K

81.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 $3,727

$1,589 ฿53.7K

134.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,606 $6,606

$590 ฿19.9K

1020.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.57

21.18%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: 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

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 86.6% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 46.5% $203

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 79% $292

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 73.4% $261

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 61.4% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 67.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 7.7% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,927 in Fort Lee, 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 Fort Lee, NJ are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

20:21 8:21 PM

11 h ahead of Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 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 = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Fort Lee, NJ Chiang Mai 13,340 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lee, 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

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

Fort Lee, NJ costs about 316% 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 $5,840 per month in Fort Lee, 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 $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Kindergarten costs $2,027 per month in Fort Lee, 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 87% more in Fort Lee, NJ, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,894 in Fort Lee, 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.

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, Fort Lee, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.