Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garden Grove, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. The total is higher in Garden Grove, CA despite lower rent and utilities.

69

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
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Garden Grove, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,412

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,412 per month in Garden Grove, CA vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Garden Grove, CA $1,412
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,264 per month in Garden Grove, CA vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Garden Grove, CA $2,264
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Garden Grove, CA vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Garden Grove, CA $3,115
Chiang Mai $1,914

Garden Grove, CA costs about 50% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Garden Grove, CA sits 5% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 $25.44

$2.26 ฿75.4

1025.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 $77.4

$19.18 ฿641

303.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 $11.44

$5.59 ฿187

104.65%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$1.72 ฿57.6

226.16%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$0.64 ฿21.54

326.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.33 ฿11.18

490.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 $7.42

$2.36 ฿78.7

214.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 $9.42

$3.90 ฿130

141.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.05 ฿68.6

-43.41%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.40 ฿46.70

278.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.28 ฿42.89

241.41%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.25 ฿75.3

123.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$16.94 ฿566

-26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$2.74 ฿91.6

214.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 $14.19

$9.36 ฿313

51.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.40 ฿80.3

95.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.01 ฿33.92

69.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.61 ฿53.9

148.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.52 ฿50.7

279.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.28 ฿42.90

185.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.11 ฿37.22

172.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.72 ฿24.09

198.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.52 ฿17.54

328.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$4.33 ฿145

165.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$17.73 ฿593

-15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.63 ฿54.4

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.85 ฿95.3

8.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 $5.02

$0.85 ฿28.31

490.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 $68.6

$53.9 ฿1,801

27.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.17 ฿39.18

282.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.57 ฿19.00

231.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.49 $36.49

$2.37 ฿79.2

1439.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.45 ฿48.32

5.52%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

77.99%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-1.93%

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

$216 $216

$62.3 ฿2,083

246.03%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$12.27 ฿410

473.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$19.97 ฿668

244.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.85 $14.85

$37.91 ฿1,267

-60.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 $20.03

$3.76 ฿126

432.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$6.71 ฿224

124.89%

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

$1,189 $1,189

$797 ฿26.6K

49.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K $42.3K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

185.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$53.3 ฿1,780

15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.80 $40.80

$25.05 ฿837

62.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$91.6 ฿3,062

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$73.5 ฿2,455

38.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$464 ฿15.5K

375.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,518 $3,518

$915 ฿30.6K

284.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,702 $4,702

$595 ฿19.9K

690.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

5.57

13.29%

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

Last update for Garden Grove, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 40.6% $163

Eating Out

Garden Grove, CA

$380 26.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 79.2% $301

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garden Grove, CA

$355 25.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 73.3% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 14.8% $19

Getting Around

Garden Grove, CA

$103 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 40.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 14% $6.3

Accommodation & Living

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,206 in Garden Grove, CA 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 690% higher in Garden Grove, CA, 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 $77.0 in Garden Grove, CA versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

23:18 11:18 PM

14 h ahead of Garden Grove, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,883

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 →

On the map

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Garden Grove, CA Chiang Mai 12,980 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Garden Grove, CA
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

Garden Grove, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garden Grove, CA costs about 50% 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 $2,118 per month in Garden Grove, CA 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 $1,189 per month in Garden Grove, CA 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 68% more in Garden Grove, CA, 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 Garden Grove, CA at $1,412. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Garden Grove, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA. 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, Garden Grove, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.