Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kauai, Hawaii and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,632 in Kauai, Hawaii, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
Learn more

Kauai, Hawaii Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,632

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,632 per month in Kauai, Hawaii vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kauai, Hawaii $2,632
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,862 per month in Kauai, Hawaii vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kauai, Hawaii $3,862
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,093 per month in Kauai, Hawaii vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kauai, Hawaii $5,093
Chiang Mai $1,999

Kauai, Hawaii costs about 181% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kauai, Hawaii sits 95% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.26 $19.26

$2.13 ฿71.6

804.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$18.62 ฿624

304.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$5.60 ฿188

93.39%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$1.66 ฿55.8

207.23%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$0.65 ฿21.69

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.30 ฿10.22

576.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.32 ฿77.9

159.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.67 ฿123

85.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.02 ฿67.6

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.41 ฿47.21

153.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.39 ฿46.67

205.04%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$2.37 ฿79.4

71.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 $12.04

$16.52 ฿554

-27.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$2.67 ฿89.5

322.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$9.02 ฿302

67.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.40 ฿80.4

98.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.04 ฿34.91

49.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.66 ฿55.6

151.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.56 ฿52.3

202.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.24 ฿41.50

132.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.09 ฿36.44

165.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.76 ฿25.54

164.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.51 ฿17.24

329.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 $9.38

$4.12 ฿138

127.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 $14.26

$17.93 ฿601

-20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.62 ฿54.4

10.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.82 ฿94.6

17.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.93 ฿31.33

109.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$52.9 ฿1,773

11.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.18 ฿39.45

188.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.17 ฿5.75

829.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.03 $29.03

$1.81 ฿60.8

1503.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.47 ฿49.38

-43.54%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$21.0K ฿704.5K

42.24%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.5K ฿889.1K

-2.77%

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

$188 $188

$62.6 ฿2,098

199.76%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$11.60 ฿389

362.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$20.30 ฿681

234.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.48 $43.48

$37.88 ฿1,270

14.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$6.51 ฿218

111.52%

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

$1,309 $1,309

$727 ฿24.4K

80.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

44.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.5 ฿1,795

-4.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.34 $40.34

$24.80 ฿832

62.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 $86.7

$90.4 ฿3,031

-4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$72.0 ฿2,413

58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 $1,631

$481 ฿16.1K

238.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$310 ฿10.4K

334.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$1,058 ฿35.5K

146.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 $2,254

$659 ฿22.1K

242.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,722 $2,722

$2,418 ฿81.1K

12.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,447 $2,447

$1,609 ฿53.9K

52.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 77% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Kauai, Hawaii

$384 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 38.3% $147

Eating Out

Kauai, Hawaii

$310 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 75.3% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 69.4% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Kauai, Hawaii

$131 5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 17.6% $23

Getting Around

Kauai, Hawaii

$78 3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 25% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Kauai, Hawaii

$71 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 28.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,631 in Kauai, Hawaii 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 $75 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

05:39 5:39 AM

17 h ahead of Kauai, Hawaii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,610

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kauai, Hawaii Chiang Mai 10,350 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Kauai, Hawaii
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

Kauai, Hawaii vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kauai, Hawaii costs about 181% 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 $3,947 per month in Kauai, Hawaii 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 $1,631 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Kindergarten costs $1,309 per month in Kauai, Hawaii and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Kauai, Hawaii, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,632 in Kauai, Hawaii and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $935 versus $2,632 in Kauai, Hawaii. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.