Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihue, HI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,194 in Lihue, HI, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lihue, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,194 per month in Lihue, HI vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lihue, HI $3,194
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $5,556 per month in Lihue, HI vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lihue, HI $5,556
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $7,919 per month in Lihue, HI vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lihue, HI $7,919
Chiang Mai $1,979

Lihue, HI costs about 241% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lihue, HI sits 135% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$2.24 ฿75.7

1030.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$19.00 ฿642

481.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$5.55 ฿188

134.77%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$1.67 ฿56.6

292.22%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.64 ฿21.56

496.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.31 ฿10.32

693.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$2.36 ฿79.6

191.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$3.66 ฿124

116.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.95 ฿65.8

-3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$6.56 $6.56

$1.44 ฿48.51

355.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.33 ฿45.07

111.28%

Eggs

$10.19 $10.19

$2.28 ฿77.1

346.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$16.45 ฿556

-6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 $15.17

$2.78 ฿94.0

445.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$9.31 ฿314

116.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.35 ฿79.5

103.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$0.97 ฿32.82

243.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$1.60 ฿53.9

436.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$1.50 ฿50.7

575.33%

Potato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$1.28 ฿43.15

294.53%

Onion (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$1.10 ฿37.22

475.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$4.14 ฿140

193.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$17.52 ฿592

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.61 ฿54.5

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.78 ฿94.0

-39.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.87 ฿29.33

126.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$54.1 ฿1,827

-2.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 $7.88

$1.16 ฿39.08

579.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.53 ฿17.82

258.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.25 $15.25

$2.42 ฿81.8

530.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.45 ฿48.93

-10.34%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

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

$30.21 $30.21

$12.17 ฿411

148.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$20.12 ฿680

200.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.9 $91.9

$37.31 ฿1,260

146.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 $9.01

$6.49 ฿219

38.83%

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

$1,200 $1,200

$736 ฿24.9K

63.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

10.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$482 ฿16.3K

387.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 $2,000

$309 ฿10.4K

547.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,245 $5,245

$1,006 ฿34.0K

421.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,812 $4,812

$633 ฿21.4K

659.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,987 $1,987

$590 ฿19.9K

236.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

5.57

20.11%

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

Last update for Lihue, HI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lihue, HI

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Lihue, HI

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Lihue, HI

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lihue, HI

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Lihue, HI

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Lihue, HI

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Lihue, HI

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,353 in Lihue, HI versus $482 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 Lihue, HI are about 3.4 times higher, 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 $111 in Lihue, HI versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $519 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lihue, HI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

19:02 7:02 PM

17 h ahead of Lihue, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Lihue, HI Chiang Mai 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Lihue, 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

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

Lihue, HI costs about 241% 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 $4,790 per month in Lihue, HI 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 $482 there versus $2,353 in Lihue, HI.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Lihue, HI and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 122% more in Lihue, HI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,194 in Lihue, HI and $936 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.

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, Lihue, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.