Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison Heights, MI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,628 in Madison Heights, MI, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Madison Heights, MI
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Madison Heights, MI Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Madison Heights, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,628 per month in Madison Heights, MI vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Madison Heights, MI $2,628
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,805 per month in Madison Heights, MI vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Madison Heights, MI $3,805
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,982 per month in Madison Heights, MI vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Madison Heights, MI $4,982
Chiang Mai $1,979

Madison Heights, MI costs about 181% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Madison Heights, MI sits 93% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 $17.73

$2.24 ฿75.7

691.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 $62.3

$19.00 ฿642

227.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 $11.01

$5.55 ฿188

98.38%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.67 ฿56.6

228.14%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$0.64 ฿21.56

303.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.31 ฿10.32

541.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.36 ฿79.6

159.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.66 ฿124

113.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.95 ฿65.8

-58.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.44 ฿48.51

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.33 ฿45.07

234.59%

Eggs

$3.79 $3.79

$2.28 ฿77.1

66.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$16.45 ฿556

-20.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$2.78 ฿94.0

305.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$9.31 ฿314

77.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.35 ฿79.5

111.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.97 ฿32.82

60.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.60 ฿53.9

160.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.50 ฿50.7

164.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.28 ฿43.15

100.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.10 ฿37.22

173.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.71 ฿23.84

205.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.49 ฿16.38

326.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.14 ฿140

142.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$17.52 ฿592

-13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.61 ฿54.5

58.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.78 ฿94.0

25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.87 ฿29.33

126.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 $64.9

$54.1 ฿1,827

19.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.16 ฿39.08

134.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.53 ฿17.82

184.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.70 $23.70

$2.42 ฿81.8

879.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.45 ฿48.93

-28.97%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

61.66%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-2.04%

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

$218 $218

$62.2 ฿2,100

250.33%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$12.17 ฿411

388.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$20.12 ฿680

237.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.05 $42.05

$37.31 ฿1,260

12.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 $11.78

$6.49 ฿219

81.51%

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

$1,096 $1,096

$736 ฿24.9K

48.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K $18.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

27.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$53.4 ฿1,802

8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.03 $40.03

$24.64 ฿832

62.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 $95.5

$91.5 ฿3,089

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$71.9 ฿2,429

63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$482 ฿16.3K

226.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$309 ฿10.4K

321.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 $2,534

$1,006 ฿34.0K

151.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 $2,159

$633 ฿21.4K

240.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 $2,685

$2,363 ฿79.8K

13.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$1,589 ฿53.7K

52.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

5.57

16.52%

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

Last update for Madison Heights, MI: 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

Madison Heights, MI

$1.3K 49.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 76.3% $993

Groceries & Markets

Madison Heights, MI

$387 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 39.5% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison Heights, MI

$345 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.6% $251

Eating Out

Madison Heights, MI

$305 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 74.6% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Madison Heights, MI

$140 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 22.5% $32

Getting Around

Madison Heights, MI

$83 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 26.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Madison Heights, MI

$66 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 23.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in Madison Heights, MI 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 $62 in Madison Heights, MI versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison Heights, MI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

06:48 6:48 AM

11 h ahead of Madison Heights, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,042

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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Madison Heights, MI Chiang Mai 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison Heights, MI
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

Madison Heights, MI vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madison Heights, MI costs about 181% 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 $3,942 per month in Madison Heights, MI 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 $1,575 in Madison Heights, MI.

Kindergarten costs $1,096 per month in Madison Heights, MI 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 65% more in Madison Heights, MI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,628 in Madison Heights, MI 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 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.