Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Branch, NJ and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,692 in Long Branch, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Long Branch, NJ
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Long Branch, NJ Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Long Branch, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,692

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,692 per month in Long Branch, NJ vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Long Branch, NJ $2,692
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,706 per month in Long Branch, NJ vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Long Branch, NJ $3,706
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,720 per month in Long Branch, NJ vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Long Branch, NJ $4,720
Chiang Mai $1,979

Long Branch, NJ costs about 188% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Long Branch, NJ sits 98% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$2.24 ฿75.7

791.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$19.00 ฿642

296.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.98 $12.98

$5.55 ฿188

133.87%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$1.67 ฿56.6

200.60%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$0.64 ฿21.56

334.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.31 ฿10.32

558.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.36 ฿79.6

68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.66 ฿124

90.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.95 ฿65.8

-45.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.44 ฿48.51

220.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.33 ฿45.07

230.08%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$2.28 ฿77.1

184.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 $10.54

$16.45 ฿556

-35.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 $10.85

$2.78 ฿94.0

290.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$9.31 ฿314

105.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.35 ฿79.5

132.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.97 ฿32.82

64.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.60 ฿53.9

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.50 ฿50.7

108.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.28 ฿43.15

75.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.10 ฿37.22

126.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.71 ฿23.84

283.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$0.49 ฿16.38

477.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 $13.69

$4.14 ฿140

230.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.82 $16.82

$17.52 ฿592

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.61 ฿54.5

19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.78 ฿94.0

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.87 ฿29.33

151.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 $62.0

$54.1 ฿1,827

14.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 $5.94

$1.16 ฿39.08

412.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.53 ฿17.82

190.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.68 $31.68

$2.42 ฿81.8

1209.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.45 ฿48.93

-28.28%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

33.65%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-2.14%

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

$179 $179

$62.2 ฿2,100

188.56%

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

$37.21 $37.21

$12.17 ฿411

205.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$20.12 ฿680

196.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 $36.08

$37.31 ฿1,260

-3.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$12.42 $12.42

$6.49 ฿219

91.37%

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

$2,152 $2,152

$736 ฿24.9K

192.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

45.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.46 $38.46

$53.4 ฿1,802

-27.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.42 $16.42

$24.64 ฿832

-33.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$91.5 ฿3,089

9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$71.9 ฿2,429

75.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$482 ฿16.3K

198.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 $1,417

$309 ฿10.4K

358.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 $2,815

$1,006 ฿34.0K

179.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$633 ฿21.4K

195.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,782 $2,782

$2,363 ฿79.8K

17.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,109 $2,109

$1,589 ฿53.7K

32.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Long Branch, NJ: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Branch, NJ

$1.4K 52.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 78.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Long Branch, NJ

$415 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 43.5% $181

Eating Out

Long Branch, NJ

$312 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 75.1% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Branch, NJ

$276 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 65.8% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Long Branch, NJ

$126 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 14.1% $18

Getting Around

Long Branch, NJ

$84 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 27.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Long Branch, NJ

$61 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 17.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,440 in Long Branch, NJ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Long Branch, NJ versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Branch, NJ

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

03:01 3:01 AM

11 h ahead of Long Branch, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,314

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 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 = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Long Branch, NJ Chiang Mai 13,400 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Branch, NJ
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

Long Branch, NJ vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Long Branch, NJ costs about 188% 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 $4,039 per month in Long Branch, NJ 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 $1,440 in Long Branch, NJ.

Kindergarten costs $2,152 per month in Long Branch, NJ 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 77% more in Long Branch, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,692 in Long Branch, NJ 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 65% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.