Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Great Falls, MT and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,215 in Great Falls, MT, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
Learn more

Great Falls, MT Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,215

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,215 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $2,215
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,051 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,051
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,887 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,887
Chiang Mai $1,903

Great Falls, MT costs about 139% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Great Falls, MT sits 63% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 $11.57

$2.29 ฿76.5

405.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 $38.01

$19.64 ฿656

93.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 $9.43

$5.61 ฿188

68.09%

Cappuccino

$4.32 $4.32

$1.66 ฿55.6

160.24%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$0.70 ฿23.40

227.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.31 ฿10.24

532.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.41 ฿80.4

153.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.71 ฿124

59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.95 ฿65.3

-44.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.41 ฿47.03

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.31 ฿43.62

279.39%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$2.18 ฿72.9

47.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$16.65 ฿556

0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$2.76 ฿92.2

251.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$9.11 ฿304

35.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.39 ฿80.0

108.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.03 ฿34.26

29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.63 ฿54.4

152.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.50 ฿50.0

44.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.29 ฿43.13

89.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.11 ฿37.03

151.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.72 ฿24.08

234.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$0.53 ฿17.59

537.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.44 $8.44

$4.31 ฿144

95.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.76 $17.76

$17.95 ฿600

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.58 ฿52.9

29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.84 ฿95.0

53.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.60 $29.60

$53.3 ฿1,780

-44.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.21 ฿40.29

428.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.57 ฿18.99

142.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 $40.76

$2.35 ฿78.6

1634.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.44 ฿47.96

-31.25%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

56.77%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-8.22%

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

$132 $132

$62.3 ฿2,083

111.54%

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

$40.11 $40.11

$12.11 ฿405

231.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$19.94 ฿666

251.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 $63.5

$37.07 ฿1,239

71.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 $11.71

$6.50 ฿217

80.15%

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

$903 $903

$793 ฿26.5K

13.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-4.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.83 $24.83

$53.7 ฿1,796

-53.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 $30.15

$24.62 ฿823

22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$90.9 ฿3,036

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 $64.9

$71.1 ฿2,378

-8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$455 ฿15.2K

214.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$298 ฿9,954

279.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$908 ฿30.4K

188.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$554 ฿18.5K

194.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$1,931 ฿64.5K

14.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$1,445 ฿48.3K

52.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 $3,583

$591 ฿19.7K

506.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

5.57

11.31%

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

Last update for Great Falls, MT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 51.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 73.7% $833

Groceries & Markets

Great Falls, MT

$390 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 39.6% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Great Falls, MT

$242 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 61% $148

Eating Out

Great Falls, MT

$232 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 66.2% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 20.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 42.4% $37

Getting Around

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 41.6% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Great Falls, MT 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 506% higher in Great Falls, MT, 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 $38.00 in Great Falls, MT versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $390 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

19:25 7:25 PM

13 h ahead of Great Falls, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,442

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 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).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Great Falls, MT Chiang Mai 12,050 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Great Falls, MT
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

Great Falls, MT vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Great Falls, MT costs about 139% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,322 per month in Great Falls, MT and $1,388 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 $903 per month in Great Falls, MT and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Great Falls, MT, 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 $925, than in Great Falls, MT at $2,215. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Great Falls, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,215 in Great Falls, MT. 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, Great Falls, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.