Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Midland, TX and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,075 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,075

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,075 per month in Midland, TX vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,075
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,966 per month in Midland, TX vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,966
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in Midland, TX vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Midland, TX $3,857
Chiang Mai $1,999

Midland, TX costs about 122% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Midland, TX sits 53% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 $16.22

$2.13 ฿71.6

661.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 $55.8

$18.62 ฿624

199.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$5.60 ฿188

79.82%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$1.66 ฿55.8

225.30%

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

$4.63 $4.63

$0.65 ฿21.69

612.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 $4.35

$0.30 ฿10.22

1350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.08 $10.08

$2.32 ฿77.9

334.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.09 $12.09

$3.67 ฿123

229.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.02 ฿67.6

-59.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.41 ฿47.21

134.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.39 ฿46.67

215.11%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$2.37 ฿79.4

24.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$16.52 ฿554

-32.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.04 ฿34.91

6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.76 ฿25.54

134.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.51 ฿17.24

284.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 $10.87

$4.12 ฿138

163.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$17.93 ฿601

-17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.62 ฿54.4

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.93 ฿31.33

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.33 $36.33

$52.9 ฿1,773

-31.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.18 ฿39.45

178.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.17 ฿5.75

770.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.47 ฿49.38

-36.05%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$21.0K ฿704.5K

31.55%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.5K ฿889.1K

0.55%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

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

$53.7 $53.7

$11.60 ฿389

362.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$20.30 ฿681

249.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.08 $13.08

$37.88 ฿1,270

-65.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$12.65 $12.65

$6.51 ฿218

94.32%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K $16.4K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-1.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 $81.5

$53.5 ฿1,795

52.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.66 $29.66

$24.80 ฿832

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 $152

$90.4 ฿3,031

68.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$72.0 ฿2,413

110.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 $1,716

$481 ฿16.1K

256.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 $1,159

$310 ฿10.4K

273.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$1,058 ฿35.5K

150.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 $1,782

$659 ฿22.1K

170.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,341 $2,341

$2,418 ฿81.1K

-3.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 $1,886

$1,609 ฿53.9K

17.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,015 $5,015

$595 ฿19.9K

743.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

Last update for Midland, TX: 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

Midland, TX

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Midland, TX

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Midland, TX

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Midland, TX

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Midland, TX

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Midland, TX

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Midland, TX

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,716 in Midland, TX 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 Midland, TX are about 8.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Midland, TX versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $180 in Midland, TX vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Midland, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

02:12 2:12 AM

13 h ahead of Midland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,524

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Midland, TX Chiang Mai 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Midland, TX
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

Midland, TX vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midland, TX costs about 122% 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 $3,113 per month in Midland, TX 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 $1,716 in Midland, TX.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Midland, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,075 in Midland, TX and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,075 in Midland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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