Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Idaho Falls, ID and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Idaho Falls, ID
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Idaho Falls, ID Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Idaho Falls, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,315

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,315 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $2,315
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,380 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $3,380
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,446 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $4,446
Chiang Mai $1,979

Idaho Falls, ID costs about 147% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Idaho Falls, ID sits 70% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 $17.72

$2.24 ฿75.7

691.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 $51.9

$19.00 ฿642

173.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$5.55 ฿188

81.80%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$1.67 ฿56.6

200.60%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$0.64 ฿21.56

254.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.31 ฿10.32

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.36 ฿79.6

74.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$3.66 ฿124

93.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.95 ฿65.8

-63.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.44 ฿48.51

172.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.33 ฿45.07

123.31%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$2.28 ฿77.1

80.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$16.45 ฿556

-29.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.78 ฿94.0

130.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 $9.79

$9.31 ฿314

5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.35 ฿79.5

-7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.97 ฿32.82

29.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.60 ฿53.9

29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.50 ฿50.7

42.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.28 ฿43.15

31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.10 ฿37.22

123.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.71 ฿23.84

161.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.49 ฿16.38

283.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.36 $10.36

$4.14 ฿140

150.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$17.52 ฿592

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.61 ฿54.5

9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.78 ฿94.0

-44.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.87 ฿29.33

250.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.16 ฿39.08

118.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.53 ฿17.82

343.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.09 $25.09

$2.42 ฿81.8

936.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.45 ฿48.93

-23.45%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

62.79%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-2.95%

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

$173 $173

$62.2 ฿2,100

177.80%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$12.17 ฿411

333.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 $63.9

$20.12 ฿680

217.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.67 $38.67

$37.31 ฿1,260

3.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 $11.42

$6.49 ฿219

75.96%

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

$957 $957

$736 ฿24.9K

30.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

39.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.75 $41.75

$53.4 ฿1,802

-21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.87 $44.87

$24.64 ฿832

82.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 $70.2

$91.5 ฿3,089

-23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 $96.4

$71.9 ฿2,429

33.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$482 ฿16.3K

174.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$309 ฿10.4K

309.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$1,006 ฿34.0K

106.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$633 ฿21.4K

248.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,923 $1,923

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-18.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 $1,946

$1,589 ฿53.7K

22.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,499 $3,499

$590 ฿19.9K

493.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

5.57

9.87%

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

Last update for Idaho Falls, ID: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Idaho Falls, ID

$1.3K 54.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.6% $957

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Idaho Falls, ID

$289 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 67.4% $195

Eating Out

Idaho Falls, ID

$282 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.5% $205

Groceries & Markets

Idaho Falls, ID

$275 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 14.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Idaho Falls, ID

$114 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 4.7% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Idaho Falls, ID

$62 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 18.2% $11

Getting Around

Idaho Falls, ID

$26 * 1.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 132% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID 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 Idaho Falls, ID are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Idaho Falls, ID versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

05:30 5:30 AM

13 h ahead of Idaho Falls, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,459

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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Idaho Falls, ID Chiang Mai 12,400 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Idaho Falls, ID
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

Idaho Falls, ID vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Idaho Falls, ID costs about 147% 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 $3,472 per month in Idaho Falls, ID 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 $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Idaho Falls, ID and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Idaho Falls, ID, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

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