Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Martinez, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,580 in Martinez, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Martinez, CA
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Martinez, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Martinez, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,580

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,580 per month in Martinez, CA vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Martinez, CA $2,580
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Martinez, CA vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Martinez, CA $3,801
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,022 per month in Martinez, CA vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Martinez, CA $5,022
Chiang Mai $1,999

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

Martinez, CA 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

$19.72 $19.72

$2.13 ฿72.0

825.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$18.62 ฿628

304.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 $11.56

$5.60 ฿189

106.43%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$1.66 ฿56.1

227.11%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$0.65 ฿21.83

392.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.30 ฿10.29

426.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.32 ฿78.4

123.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 $7.33

$3.67 ฿124

99.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.02 ฿68.0

-47.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.41 ฿47.51

154.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.39 ฿46.96

248.20%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$2.37 ฿79.9

77.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$16.52 ฿557

-24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$2.67 ฿90.1

337.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 $16.23

$9.02 ฿304

79.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.40 ฿80.9

107.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.04 ฿35.13

60.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.66 ฿56.0

141.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.56 ฿52.6

194.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.24 ฿41.76

116.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.09 ฿36.66

130.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.76 ฿25.70

147.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.51 ฿17.35

337.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.12 ฿139

121.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 $14.78

$17.93 ฿605

-17.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.62 ฿54.8

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.82 ฿95.2

12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.93 ฿31.53

119.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 $51.5

$52.9 ฿1,785

-2.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.18 ฿39.70

204.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.17 ฿5.79

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.39 $32.39

$1.81 ฿61.1

1689.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.47 ฿49.69

-2.04%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

32.48%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-0.09%

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

$203 $203

$62.6 ฿2,111

224.44%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$11.60 ฿392

394.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$20.30 ฿685

242.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.10 $40.10

$37.88 ฿1,278

5.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$14.20 $14.20

$6.51 ฿220

118.13%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$727 ฿24.5K

89.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

14.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$53.5 ฿1,807

-1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 $41.10

$24.80 ฿837

65.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 $82.3

$90.4 ฿3,050

-8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$72.0 ฿2,428

56.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 $2,036

$481 ฿16.2K

323.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$310 ฿10.5K

309.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,652 $3,652

$1,058 ฿35.7K

245.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 $2,142

$659 ฿22.2K

225.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,823 $2,823

$2,418 ฿81.6K

16.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 $2,381

$1,609 ฿54.3K

48.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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 Martinez, CA: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Martinez, CA

$1.3K 49.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75.6% $959

Groceries & Markets

Martinez, CA

$394 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 39.9% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Martinez, CA

$330 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 71.3% $235

Eating Out

Martinez, CA

$317 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 75.9% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Martinez, CA

$130 5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 16.7% $22

Getting Around

Martinez, CA

$72 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 18.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Martinez, CA

$68 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 25.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,036 in Martinez, CA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Martinez, CA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $394 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Martinez, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

21:42 9:42 PM

15 h ahead of Martinez, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,297

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Martinez, CA Chiang Mai 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Martinez, CA
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

Martinez, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Martinez, CA 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 $3,870 per month in Martinez, CA 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 $2,036 in Martinez, CA.

Kindergarten costs $1,374 per month in Martinez, CA 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 66% more in Martinez, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,580 in Martinez, CA 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.