Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilo, HI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,865 per month in Hilo, HI vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hilo, HI $2,865
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $4,388 per month in Hilo, HI vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hilo, HI $4,388
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,910 per month in Hilo, HI vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hilo, HI $5,910
Chiang Mai $1,999

Hilo, HI costs about 206% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hilo, HI sits 112% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.13 ฿72.0

875.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$18.62 ฿628

329.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.60 ฿189

117.32%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.66 ฿56.1

239.16%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$0.65 ฿21.82

346.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.30 ฿10.29

706.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 $6.32

$2.32 ฿78.3

172.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 $7.57

$3.67 ฿124

106.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.02 ฿68.0

-13.37%

White Bread (500g)

$10.08 $10.08

$1.41 ฿47.49

614.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.39 ฿46.94

207.91%

Eggs

$7.07 $7.07

$2.37 ฿79.9

198.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.98 $19.98

$16.52 ฿557

20.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$2.67 ฿90.1

558.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.15 $30.15

$9.02 ฿304

234.26%

Apples (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$2.40 ฿80.9

257.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.04 ฿35.12

129.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$1.66 ฿56.0

531.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$1.56 ฿52.6

682.69%

Potato (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$1.24 ฿41.75

629.03%

Onion (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$1.09 ฿36.65

616.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.36 $5.36

$0.76 ฿25.70

605.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.51 ฿17.34

492.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$4.12 ฿139

188.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.03 $22.03

$17.93 ฿605

22.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.62 ฿54.8

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.18 ฿39.69

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.17 ฿5.78

1076.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.57 $23.57

$1.81 ฿61.1

1202.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.47 ฿49.67

-4.08%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

21.38%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-1.80%

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

$302 $302

$62.6 ฿2,110

382.64%

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

$67.7 $67.7

$11.60 ฿391

483.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 $125

$20.30 ฿685

517.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 $37.04

$37.88 ฿1,278

-2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.30 $25.30

$3.70 ฿125

583.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 $13.24

$6.51 ฿220

103.38%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-28.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.77 $36.77

$53.5 ฿1,806

-31.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 $29.88

$24.80 ฿836

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 $66.8

$90.4 ฿3,049

-26.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 $83.9

$72.0 ฿2,428

16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 $1,463

$481 ฿16.2K

204.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 $1,142

$310 ฿10.5K

268.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,574 $2,574

$1,058 ฿35.7K

143.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$659 ฿22.2K

233.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,600 $5,600

$2,418 ฿81.5K

131.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,662 $4,662

$1,609 ฿54.3K

189.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,795 $3,795

$595 ฿20.1K

538.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.57

18.85%

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

Last update for Hilo, HI: 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

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 72.9% $832

Groceries & Markets

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 66.9% $479

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 80.9% $401

Eating Out

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 77.4% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 10.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 19.9% $13

Getting Around

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 352% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,463 in Hilo, HI 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.

Salaries in Hilo, HI are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Hilo, HI versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $715 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

18:16 6:16 PM

17 h ahead of Hilo, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,186

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hilo, HI Chiang Mai 10,880 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilo, HI
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

Hilo, HI vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilo, HI costs about 206% 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 $4,297 per month in Hilo, HI 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 $481 there versus $1,463 in Hilo, HI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,865 in Hilo, HI and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 67% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 202% more in Hilo, HI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,865 in Hilo, HI and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,865 in Hilo, HI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Hilo, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.