Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,208 in Lincoln, NE, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,208

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,208 per month in Lincoln, NE vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lincoln, NE $2,208
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,239 per month in Lincoln, NE vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lincoln, NE $3,239
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,270 per month in Lincoln, NE vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lincoln, NE $4,270
Chiang Mai $1,979

Lincoln, NE costs about 136% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lincoln, NE sits 62% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$2.24 ฿75.6

804.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$19.00 ฿641

316.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.55 ฿187

119.28%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$1.67 ฿56.5

238.92%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$0.64 ฿21.55

264.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$0.31 ฿10.31

464.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.36 ฿79.6

116.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.17 $9.17

$3.66 ฿124

150.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.95 ฿65.8

-53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.44 ฿48.48

123.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$1.33 ฿45.04

375.19%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$2.28 ฿77.1

96.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$16.45 ฿555

-30.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 $8.43

$2.78 ฿93.9

203.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.82 $14.82

$9.31 ฿314

59.18%

Apples (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$2.35 ฿79.4

197.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.97 ฿32.80

116.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.60 ฿53.9

269.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.50 ฿50.6

191.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.28 ฿43.12

163.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.10 ฿37.19

237.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.71 ฿23.82

163.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.49 ฿16.37

444.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$4.14 ฿140

121.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.30 $17.30

$17.52 ฿591

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.61 ฿54.5

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.78 ฿94.0

-7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.87 ฿29.31

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.91 $16.91

$54.1 ฿1,826

-68.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 $5.06

$1.16 ฿39.06

336.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.53 ฿17.80

258.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.14 $35.14

$2.42 ฿81.8

1352.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 ฿48.90

-31.72%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

30.82%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-5.15%

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

$144 $144

$62.2 ฿2,098

131.45%

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

$47.84 $47.84

$12.17 ฿411

293.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$20.12 ฿679

224.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 $41.55

$37.31 ฿1,259

11.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$3.77 ฿127

593.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 $15.08

$6.49 ฿219

132.36%

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

$834 $834

$736 ฿24.8K

13.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 $48.84

$53.4 ฿1,801

-8.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 $35.07

$24.64 ฿831

42.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$91.5 ฿3,087

-4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$71.9 ฿2,428

62.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 $956

$482 ฿16.3K

98.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 $982

$309 ฿10.4K

217.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$1,006 ฿33.9K

115.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 $1,451

$633 ฿21.4K

129.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$2,363 ฿79.8K

5.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,767 $1,767

$1,589 ฿53.6K

11.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,834 $3,834

$590 ฿19.9K

550.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.57

14.36%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: 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

Lincoln, NE

$982 44.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 68.5% $673

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$404 18.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 42.1% $170

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$327 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 76.3% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$257 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 63.3% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 16.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$72 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 29.9% $21

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$36 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 68.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Lincoln, NE 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 Lincoln, NE are about 6.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Lincoln, NE versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

19:47 7:47 PM

13 h ahead of Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lincoln, NE Chiang Mai 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Lincoln, NE
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

Lincoln, NE vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lincoln, NE costs about 136% 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 $3,312 per month in Lincoln, NE 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 $956 in Lincoln, NE.

Kindergarten costs $834 per month in Lincoln, NE and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Lincoln, NE, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,208 in Lincoln, NE 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 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, Lincoln, NE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.