Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Groton, CT and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,040 in Groton, CT, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Groton, CT, United States
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Groton, CT
🇺🇸 United States
$3,040
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,040 per month in Groton, CT vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Groton, CT $3,040
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $4,147 per month in Groton, CT vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Groton, CT $4,147
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,255 per month in Groton, CT vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Groton, CT $5,255
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Groton, CT costs about 225% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Groton, CT sits 125% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.62 $16.62
$2.13 ฿71.8
680.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.2 $65.2
$18.62 ฿626
250.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.16 $15.16
$5.60 ฿188
170.71%
Cappuccino
$5.08 $5.08
$1.66 ฿55.9
206.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$0.65 ฿21.75
287.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$0.30 ฿10.25
550.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.91 $4.91
$2.32 ฿78.1
111.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.97 $5.97
$3.67 ฿123
62.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$2.02 ฿67.8
-48.51%
White Bread (500g)
$3.88 $3.88
$1.41 ฿47.34
175.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.32 $5.32
$1.39 ฿46.79
282.73%
Eggs
$4.81 $4.81
$2.37 ฿79.6
102.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.33 $11.33
$16.52 ฿555
-31.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.46 $14.46
$2.67 ฿89.8
441.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.71 $17.71
$9.02 ฿303
96.34%
Apples (1kg)
$6.84 $6.84
$2.40 ฿80.6
185.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.04 ฿35.01
66.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.84 $6.84
$1.66 ฿55.8
312.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.44 $5.44
$1.56 ฿52.4
248.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.84 $2.84
$1.24 ฿41.61
129.03%
Onion (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$1.09 ฿36.53
310.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 $2.27
$0.76 ฿25.61
198.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 $1.46
$0.51 ฿17.29
186.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 $13.97
$4.12 ฿139
239.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.86 $13.86
$17.93 ฿603
-22.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.62 ฿54.6
29.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 $3.93
$2.82 ฿94.9
39.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.79 $1.79
$0.93 ฿31.42
92.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 $54.9
$52.9 ฿1,778
3.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.10 $4.10
$1.18 ฿39.56
247.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.54 $2.54
$0.17 ฿5.76
1394.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.01 $40.01
$1.81 ฿60.9
2110.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.47 ฿49.51
-34.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K $27.0K
$21.0K ฿706.4K
28.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K $26.9K
$26.5K ฿891.4K
1.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$322 $322
$62.6 ฿2,103
414.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$106 $106
$11.60 ฿390
815.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$83.5 $83.5
$20.30 ฿683
311.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.47 $38.47
$37.88 ฿1,274
1.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.70 ฿124
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.42 $14.42
$6.51 ฿219
121.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,865 $1,865
$727 ฿24.4K
156.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$43.9K $43.9K
$16.6K ฿557.2K
164.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.5 $56.5
$53.5 ฿1,800
5.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.97 $38.97
$24.80 ฿834
57.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.8 $80.8
$90.4 ฿3,039
-10.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 $101
$72.0 ฿2,420
40.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,113 $2,113
$481 ฿16.2K
339.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,525 $1,525
$310 ฿10.4K
391.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,558 $2,558
$1,058 ฿35.6K
141.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,131 $2,131
$659 ฿22.1K
223.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,479 $2,479
$2,418 ฿81.3K
2.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,237 $2,237
$1,609 ฿54.1K
39.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Groton, CT
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
5.57
19.21%

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

Last update for Groton, CT: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Groton, CT
$1.5K
Chiang Mai
$310 79.7% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Groton, CT
$512
Chiang Mai
$94 81.5% $417
Groceries & Markets
Groton, CT
$438
Chiang Mai
$237 46% $202
Eating Out
Groton, CT
$294
Chiang Mai
$77 73.9% $217
Clothing & Footwear
Groton, CT
$125
Chiang Mai
$108 13.3% $17
Getting Around
Groton, CT
$79
Chiang Mai
$59 25.6% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Groton, CT
$67
Chiang Mai
$51 24.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,113 in Groton, CT versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Groton, CT versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Groton, CT
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
21:18 9:18 PM
09:18 9:18 AM
12 h ahead of Groton, CT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,115
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Groton, CT Chiang Mai 13,260 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Groton, CT
  • 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
Groton, CT vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Groton, CT or Chiang Mai?
Groton, CT costs about 225% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Groton, CT and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,559 per month in Groton, CT and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Groton, CT or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $2,113 in Groton, CT.
How do childcare costs compare in Groton, CT and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $1,865 per month in Groton, CT and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Groton, CT or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 85% more in Groton, CT, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Groton, CT or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,040 in Groton, CT and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
How safe is Groton, CT compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 69% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Groton, CT vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?