Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Franklin, TN and Chiang Mai

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

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Franklin, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$3,122

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Franklin, TN $3,122
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,506 per month in Franklin, TN vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Franklin, TN $4,506
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,889 per month in Franklin, TN vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Franklin, TN $5,889
Chiang Mai $1,979

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

Franklin, TN 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

$28.12 $28.12

$2.24 ฿75.7

1155.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 $87.3

$19.00 ฿642

359.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$5.55 ฿188

114.41%

Cappuccino

$7.33 $7.33

$1.67 ฿56.6

338.92%

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

$3.37 $3.37

$0.64 ฿21.56

426.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.31 ฿10.32

638.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.55 $7.55

$2.36 ฿79.6

219.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.66 ฿124

120.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.95 ฿65.8

-32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.44 ฿48.51

164.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

Eggs

$5.71 $5.71

$2.28 ฿77.1

150.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$16.45 ฿556

-5.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.84 $17.84

$2.78 ฿94.0

541.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.35 ฿79.5

67.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.97 ฿32.82

98.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.28 ฿43.15

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.10 ฿37.22

93.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.71 ฿23.84

247.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 $9.46

$4.14 ฿140

128.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$17.52 ฿592

-26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.87 ฿29.33

12.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

$54.1 ฿1,827

12.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.45 ฿48.93

-40.00%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

33.42%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

1.00%

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

$214 $214

$62.2 ฿2,100

243.43%

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

$116 $116

$12.17 ฿411

852.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 $90.5

$20.12 ฿680

349.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 $58.6

$37.31 ฿1,260

57.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 $16.06

$6.49 ฿219

147.46%

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

$397 $397

$736 ฿24.9K

-46.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.6 $98.6

$53.4 ฿1,802

84.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 $63.7

$24.64 ฿832

158.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 $75.6

$91.5 ฿3,089

-17.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$71.9 ฿2,429

55.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 $1,924

$482 ฿16.3K

298.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 $1,677

$309 ฿10.4K

442.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 $3,203

$1,006 ฿34.0K

218.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 $2,711

$633 ฿21.4K

328.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,526 $3,526

$2,363 ฿79.8K

49.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,932 $2,932

$1,589 ฿53.7K

84.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,239 $6,239

$590 ฿19.9K

957.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.57

18.31%

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

Last update for Franklin, TN: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Franklin, TN

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Franklin, TN

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Franklin, TN

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Franklin, TN

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Franklin, TN

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Franklin, TN

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Franklin, TN

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,924 in Franklin, TN 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 Franklin, TN are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Franklin, TN versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Franklin, TN

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

04:37 4:37 AM

12 h ahead of Franklin, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,454

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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Between locations

Franklin, TN Chiang Mai 13,900 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Franklin, TN
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

Franklin, TN vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Franklin, TN 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 $4,683 per month in Franklin, TN 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 $1,924 in Franklin, TN.

Kindergarten costs $397 per month in Franklin, TN 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 22% more in Franklin, TN, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,122 in Franklin, TN and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $3,122 in Franklin, TN. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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