Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima, OH and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,583 in Lima, OH, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Lima, OH
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Lima, OH Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lima, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,583

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,583 per month in Lima, OH vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lima, OH $2,583
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,667 per month in Lima, OH vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lima, OH $3,667
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,750 per month in Lima, OH vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lima, OH $4,750
Chiang Mai $1,999

Lima, OH costs about 176% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lima, OH sits 91% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.56 $21.56

$2.13 ฿71.8

912.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 $74.2

$18.62 ฿626

298.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$5.60 ฿188

115.18%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$1.66 ฿55.9

219.88%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$0.65 ฿21.75

281.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.30 ฿10.25

573.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.32 ฿78.1

163.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.67 ฿123

91.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 $0.51

$2.02 ฿67.8

-74.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.41 ฿47.34

119.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$1.39 ฿46.79

280.58%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$2.37 ฿79.6

29.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 $8.90

$16.52 ฿555

-46.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.54 $14.54

$2.67 ฿89.8

444.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$9.02 ฿303

74.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.40 ฿80.6

79.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.04 ฿35.01

8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.66 ฿55.8

165.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.56 ฿52.4

180.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.24 ฿41.61

82.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.09 ฿36.53

99.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.76 ฿25.61

167.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.51 ฿17.29

280.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$4.12 ฿139

137.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.08 $16.08

$17.93 ฿603

-10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.62 ฿54.6

30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.82 ฿94.9

-30.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.93 ฿31.42

118.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$52.9 ฿1,778

13.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.18 ฿39.56

152.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.17 ฿5.76

735.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.92 $26.92

$1.81 ฿60.9

1387.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.47 ฿49.51

-38.78%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

50.66%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-10.10%

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

$222 $222

$62.6 ฿2,103

255.34%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$11.60 ฿390

484.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$20.30 ฿683

235.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.50 $41.50

$37.88 ฿1,274

9.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.74 $47.74

$3.70 ฿124

1190.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 $13.23

$6.51 ฿219

103.23%

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

$1,560 $1,560

$727 ฿24.4K

114.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K $33.7K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

103.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$53.5 ฿1,800

-6.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.92 $41.92

$24.80 ฿834

69.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 $80.1

$90.4 ฿3,039

-11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$72.0 ฿2,420

52.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 $1,281

$481 ฿16.2K

166.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$310 ฿10.4K

301.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$1,058 ฿35.6K

104.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$659 ฿22.1K

173.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 $1,399

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-42.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,436 $1,436

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-10.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,178 $5,178

$595 ฿20.0K

770.45%

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 Lima, OH: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima, OH

$1.2K 48.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75.1% $934

Groceries & Markets

Lima, OH

$373 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 36.6% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima, OH

$358 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 73.6% $264

Eating Out

Lima, OH

$335 13%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 77.1% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Lima, OH

$127 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 14.5% $18

Getting Around

Lima, OH

$78 3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 24.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Lima, OH

$68 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 25.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,281 in Lima, OH 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 Lima, OH are about 8.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Lima, OH versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lima, OH

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

06:29 6:29 AM

12 h ahead of Lima, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,868

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Lima, OH Chiang Mai 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima, OH
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

Lima, OH vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima, OH costs about 176% 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 $3,874 per month in Lima, OH 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 $1,281 in Lima, OH.

Kindergarten costs $1,560 per month in Lima, OH 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 58% more in Lima, OH, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,583 in Lima, OH 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.

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

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lima, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.