Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacksonville, NC and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,454 in Jacksonville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Jacksonville, NC
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Jacksonville, NC Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Jacksonville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,454

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,454 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $2,454
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,505 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $3,505
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,555 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $4,555
Chiang Mai $1,914

Jacksonville, NC costs about 161% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jacksonville, NC sits 82% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.47 $15.47

$2.26 ฿75.4

584.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$19.18 ฿641

207.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$5.59 ฿187

76.57%

Cappuccino

$4.70 $4.70

$1.72 ฿57.6

173.26%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$0.64 ฿21.54

296.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.33 ฿11.18

521.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.36 ฿78.7

116.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.90 ฿130

74.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.05 ฿68.6

-42.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.40 ฿46.70

207.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$1.28 ฿42.89

764.06%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$2.25 ฿75.3

161.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.43 $19.43

$16.94 ฿566

14.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$2.74 ฿91.6

523.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.81 $23.81

$9.36 ฿313

154.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.40 ฿80.3

137.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.01 ฿33.92

74.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 $8.30

$1.61 ฿53.9

415.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$1.52 ฿50.7

290.13%

Potato (1kg)

$7.05 $7.05

$1.28 ฿42.90

450.78%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.11 ฿37.22

262.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.72 ฿24.09

286.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.52 ฿17.54

280.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.33 ฿145

86.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$17.73 ฿593

-16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.63 ฿54.4

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.85 ฿95.3

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.17 ฿39.18

115.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.45 ฿48.32

-41.38%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

72.20%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-5.18%

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

$172 $172

$62.3 ฿2,083

176.19%

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

$75.7 $75.7

$12.27 ฿410

516.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$19.97 ฿668

248.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 $37.21

$37.91 ฿1,267

-1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.76 ฿126

-56.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 $13.04

$6.71 ฿224

94.34%

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

$719 $719

$797 ฿26.6K

-9.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$53.3 ฿1,780

11.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.93 $39.93

$25.05 ฿837

59.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$91.6 ฿3,062

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$73.5 ฿2,455

84.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$464 ฿15.5K

186.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$305 ฿10.2K

261.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,923 $1,923

$915 ฿30.6K

110.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 $1,590

$552 ฿18.5K

187.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 $1,910

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-0.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,745 $6,745

$1,438 ฿48.1K

368.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,207 $2,207

$595 ฿19.9K

270.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.57

14.36%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, NC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jacksonville, NC

$1.1K 44.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 72.4% $797

Groceries & Markets

Jacksonville, NC

$550 22.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 56.7% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jacksonville, NC

$317 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 70.2% $223

Eating Out

Jacksonville, NC

$267 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 70.4% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Jacksonville, NC

$152 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 27.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Jacksonville, NC

$63 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 18.9% $12

Getting Around

Jacksonville, NC

$2.5 * 0.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 2333% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,328 in Jacksonville, NC 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 271% higher in Jacksonville, NC, 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 $59.0 in Jacksonville, NC versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $550 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jacksonville, NC

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

22:15 10:15 PM

11 h ahead of Jacksonville, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

949,611

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Jacksonville, NC Chiang Mai 14,050 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Jacksonville, NC
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

Jacksonville, NC vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacksonville, NC costs about 161% 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 $3,680 per month in Jacksonville, NC 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Jacksonville, NC and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 131% more in Jacksonville, NC, 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 Jacksonville, NC at $2,454. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jacksonville, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,454 in Jacksonville, NC. 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, Jacksonville, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.