Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Geneva, WI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lake Geneva, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,464
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,464 per month in Lake Geneva, WI vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Lake Geneva, WI $2,464
  • Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,622 per month in Lake Geneva, WI vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Lake Geneva, WI $3,622
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,780 per month in Lake Geneva, WI vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Lake Geneva, WI $4,780
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

Lake Geneva, WI costs about 166% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lake Geneva, WI sits 82% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.49 $21.49
$2.29 ฿76.5
838.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.0 $90.0
$19.64 ฿656
358.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.95 $12.95
$5.61 ฿188
130.84%
Cappuccino
$5.82 $5.82
$1.66 ฿55.6
250.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 $2.70
$0.70 ฿23.40
285.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$0.31 ฿10.24
661.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.95 $6.95
$2.41 ฿80.4
188.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.86 $8.86
$3.71 ฿124
138.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.95 ฿65.3
-48.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.41 ฿47.03
74.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.06 $5.06
$1.31 ฿43.62
286.26%
Eggs
$2.00 $2.00
$2.18 ฿72.9
-8.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.97 $13.97
$16.65 ฿556
-16.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 $9.65
$2.76 ฿92.2
249.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.92 $9.92
$9.11 ฿304
8.89%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 $4.13
$2.39 ฿80.0
72.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.03 ฿34.26
87.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.14 $4.14
$1.63 ฿54.4
153.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.72 $4.72
$1.50 ฿50.0
214.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.29 ฿43.13
106.20%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.11 ฿37.03
139.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 $2.21
$0.72 ฿24.08
206.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.97 $2.97
$0.53 ฿17.59
460.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.45 $8.45
$4.31 ฿144
96.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.84 $12.84
$17.95 ฿600
-28.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.58 ฿52.9
68.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 $3.37
$2.84 ฿95.0
18.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.15 $2.15
$0.86 ฿28.86
150.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$53.3 ฿1,780
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 $3.30
$1.21 ฿40.29
172.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 $1.36
$0.57 ฿18.99
138.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.17 $25.17
$2.35 ฿78.6
971.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.44 ฿47.96
-36.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
70.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
-1.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 $192
$62.3 ฿2,083
207.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$67.3 $67.3
$12.11 ฿405
455.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.6 $50.6
$19.94 ฿666
153.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.35 $42.35
$37.07 ฿1,239
14.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.78 ฿126
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.13 $10.13
$6.50 ฿217
55.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,687 $1,687
$793 ฿26.5K
112.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.5K $31.5K
$14.8K ฿494.9K
112.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.7 $66.7
$53.7 ฿1,796
24.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.7 $50.7
$24.62 ฿823
105.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 $98.3
$90.9 ฿3,036
8.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 $146
$71.1 ฿2,378
104.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,610 $1,610
$455 ฿15.2K
253.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 $1,198
$298 ฿9,954
302.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,754 $2,754
$908 ฿30.4K
203.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,911 $1,911
$554 ฿18.5K
245.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,513 $2,513
$1,931 ฿64.5K
30.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,682 $2,682
$1,445 ฿48.3K
85.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lake Geneva, WI
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,761 $3,761
$591 ฿19.7K
536.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
5.57
15.80%

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

Last update for Lake Geneva, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lake Geneva, WI
$1.2K
Chiang Mai
$298 75.1% $900
Groceries & Markets
Lake Geneva, WI
$359
Chiang Mai
$235 34.4% $123
Eating Out
Lake Geneva, WI
$353
Chiang Mai
$79 77.8% $275
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lake Geneva, WI
$310
Chiang Mai
$94 69.5% $215
Clothing & Footwear
Lake Geneva, WI
$163
Chiang Mai
$108 33.5% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Lake Geneva, WI
$63
Chiang Mai
$50 20% $13
Getting Around
Lake Geneva, WI
$19 *
Chiang Mai
$61 225% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $455 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 536% higher in Lake Geneva, WI, 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 $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lake Geneva, WI
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
19:41 7:41 PM
07:41 7:41 AM
12 h ahead of Lake Geneva, WI
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lake Geneva, WI Chiang Mai 13,150 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lake Geneva, WI
  • 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
Lake Geneva, WI vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lake Geneva, WI or Chiang Mai?
Lake Geneva, WI costs about 166% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lake Geneva, WI and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,696 per month in Lake Geneva, WI and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lake Geneva, WI or Chiang Mai?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Lake Geneva, WI and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Lake Geneva, WI or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 52% more in Lake Geneva, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lake Geneva, WI or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Lake Geneva, WI at $2,464. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Geneva, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lake Geneva, WI or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Lake Geneva, WI compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Lake Geneva, WI or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lake Geneva, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lake Geneva, WI vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?