Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,988 in Kahului, HI, rent and utilities included – about $36,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

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

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kahului, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,988

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,988 per month in Kahului, HI vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kahului, HI $3,988
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $5,766 per month in Kahului, HI vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kahului, HI $5,766
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $7,544 per month in Kahului, HI vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kahului, HI $7,544
Chiang Mai $1,914

Kahului, HI costs about 325% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kahului, HI sits 195% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$48.73 $48.73

$2.26 ฿75.4

2056.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$19.18 ฿641

296.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.78 $18.78

$5.59 ฿187

235.96%

Cappuccino

$7.22 $7.22

$1.72 ฿57.6

319.77%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$0.64 ฿21.54

351.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$0.33 ฿11.18

969.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.36 ฿78.7

109.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$3.90 ฿130

95.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.05 ฿68.6

-29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$6.84 $6.84

$1.40 ฿46.70

388.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$1.28 ฿42.89

581.25%

Eggs

$6.70 $6.70

$2.25 ฿75.3

197.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$16.94 ฿566

-48.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.18 $15.18

$2.74 ฿91.6

454.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$9.36 ฿313

112.29%

Apples (1kg)

$12.71 $12.71

$2.40 ฿80.3

429.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.01 ฿33.92

175.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$1.52 ฿50.7

823.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$2.85 ฿95.3

111.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.85 ฿28.31

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.70 $44.70

$53.9 ฿1,801

-17.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.86 $34.86

$2.37 ฿79.2

1370.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.45 ฿48.32

-8.28%

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

$39.3K $39.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

92.12%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-0.83%

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

$297 $297

$62.3 ฿2,083

376.43%

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

$70.4 $70.4

$12.27 ฿410

473.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 $51.6

$19.97 ฿668

158.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$53.3 ฿1,780

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.77 $40.77

$25.05 ฿837

62.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 $95.7

$91.6 ฿3,062

4.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$73.5 ฿2,455

65.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,376 $2,376

$464 ฿15.5K

411.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 $2,309

$305 ฿10.2K

657.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,930 $3,930

$915 ฿30.6K

329.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,868 $3,868

$552 ฿18.5K

600.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K $11.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

515.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K $11.6K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

707.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,667 $4,667

$595 ฿19.9K

684.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Kahului, HI: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kahului, HI

$2.3K 57.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 86.8% $2K

Eating Out

Kahului, HI

$598 15%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 86.8% $519

Groceries & Markets

Kahului, HI

$469 * 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 49.2% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kahului, HI

$419 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 77.4% $324

Clothing & Footwear

Kahului, HI

$141 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 22.2% $31

Getting Around

Kahului, HI

$52 * 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 16.8% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kahului, HI

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,376 in Kahului, HI 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 684% higher in Kahului, HI, 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 $76.0 in Kahului, HI versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $469 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kahului, HI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

01:32 1:32 AM

17 h ahead of Kahului, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,337

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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Between locations

Kahului, HI Chiang Mai 10,690 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Kahului, 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

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

Kahului, HI costs about 325% 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 $5,982 per month in Kahului, HI 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.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Kahului, HI, 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 Kahului, HI at $3,988. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kahului, HI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,988 in Kahului, HI. 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, Kahului, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.