Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lansing, IL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,725 in Lansing, IL, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Lansing, IL
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Lansing, IL Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lansing, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,725

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Lansing, IL vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lansing, IL $2,725
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,885 per month in Lansing, IL vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lansing, IL $3,885
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,045 per month in Lansing, IL vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lansing, IL $5,045
Chiang Mai $1,999

Lansing, IL costs about 191% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lansing, IL sits 102% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$2.13 ฿72.0

820.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$18.62 ฿628

300.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 $11.52

$5.60 ฿189

105.71%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$1.66 ฿56.1

223.49%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$0.65 ฿21.83

318.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.30 ฿10.29

556.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.32 ฿78.4

165.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.67 ฿124

101.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.02 ฿68.0

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.41 ฿47.51

149.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.39 ฿46.96

208.63%

Eggs

$4.13 $4.13

$2.37 ฿79.9

74.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$16.52 ฿557

-25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$2.67 ฿90.1

333.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 $17.06

$9.02 ฿304

89.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.40 ฿80.9

109.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.04 ฿35.13

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.66 ฿56.0

154.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.56 ฿52.6

195.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.24 ฿41.76

134.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.09 ฿36.66

175.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.76 ฿25.70

188.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.51 ฿17.35

333.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$4.12 ฿139

143.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$17.93 ฿605

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.62 ฿54.8

24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.82 ฿95.2

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.93 ฿31.53

118.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$52.9 ฿1,785

21.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.18 ฿39.70

166.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.17 ฿5.79

770.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.60 $25.60

$1.81 ฿61.1

1314.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.47 ฿49.69

-22.45%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

33.55%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-2.00%

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

$200 $200

$62.6 ฿2,111

219.82%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$11.60 ฿392

340.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.4 $79.4

$20.30 ฿685

291.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.61 $35.61

$37.88 ฿1,278

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 $14.10

$6.51 ฿220

116.59%

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

$1,348 $1,348

$727 ฿24.5K

85.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K $18.5K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

11.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$53.5 ฿1,807

0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.44 $38.44

$24.80 ฿837

55.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 $75.3

$90.4 ฿3,050

-16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$72.0 ฿2,428

79.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$481 ฿16.2K

227.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 $1,397

$310 ฿10.5K

350.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 $2,476

$1,058 ฿35.7K

133.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,140 $2,140

$659 ฿22.2K

224.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 $2,647

$2,418 ฿81.6K

9.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$1,609 ฿54.3K

54.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,145 $3,145

$595 ฿20.1K

428.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.57

18.31%

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

Last update for Lansing, IL: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lansing, IL

$1.4K 51.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 77.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lansing, IL

$397 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 40.4% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lansing, IL

$331 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 71.4% $236

Eating Out

Lansing, IL

$320 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 76.1% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Lansing, IL

$133 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 18.8% $25

Getting Around

Lansing, IL

$83 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 29.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lansing, IL

$64 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 20.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,574 in Lansing, IL 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.

Salaries in Lansing, IL are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Lansing, IL versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lansing, IL

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

23:42 11:42 PM

13 h ahead of Lansing, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,644

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lansing, IL Chiang Mai 13,270 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Lansing, IL
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

Lansing, IL vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lansing, IL costs about 191% 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 $4,088 per month in Lansing, IL 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 $1,574 in Lansing, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,348 per month in Lansing, IL 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 68% more in Lansing, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,725 in Lansing, IL and $935 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, Lansing, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.