Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,708 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

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

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,708

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,708 per month in Modesto, CA vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Modesto, CA $2,708
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,910 per month in Modesto, CA vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Modesto, CA $3,910
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,112 per month in Modesto, CA vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Modesto, CA $5,112
Chiang Mai $1,979

Modesto, CA costs about 189% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Modesto, CA sits 99% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$2.24 ฿75.6

578.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$19.00 ฿641

316.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.55 ฿187

60.00%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$1.67 ฿56.5

222.75%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$0.64 ฿21.55

307.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.31 ฿10.31

409.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.36 ฿79.6

114.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.66 ฿124

94.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.95 ฿65.8

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.44 ฿48.48

153.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.33 ฿45.04

207.52%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.28 ฿77.1

142.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$16.45 ฿555

-21.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$2.78 ฿93.9

380.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 $19.65

$9.31 ฿314

111.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.35 ฿79.4

128.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.97 ฿32.80

107.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$1.60 ฿53.9

246.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$1.50 ฿50.6

264.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.28 ฿43.12

175.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.10 ฿37.19

166.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.71 ฿23.82

242.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.49 ฿16.37

420.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$4.14 ฿140

179.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$17.52 ฿591

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.61 ฿54.5

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.78 ฿94.0

19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.87 ฿29.31

125.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.49 $40.49

$54.1 ฿1,826

-25.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.16 ฿39.06

195.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.53 ฿17.80

475.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.56 $30.56

$2.42 ฿81.8

1162.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.45 ฿48.90

-1.38%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

75.33%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-1.04%

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

$257 $257

$62.2 ฿2,098

313.37%

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

$48.45 $48.45

$12.17 ฿411

298.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$20.12 ฿679

241.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.85 $37.85

$37.31 ฿1,259

1.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 $14.77

$3.77 ฿127

291.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 $11.21

$6.49 ฿219

72.73%

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

$1,836 $1,836

$736 ฿24.8K

149.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

174.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.86 $47.86

$53.4 ฿1,801

-10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.21 $39.21

$24.64 ฿831

59.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 $95.1

$91.5 ฿3,087

3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$71.9 ฿2,428

68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$482 ฿16.3K

169.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$309 ฿10.4K

340.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$1,006 ฿33.9K

81.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$633 ฿21.4K

240.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,619 $3,619

$2,363 ฿79.8K

53.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,962 $2,962

$1,589 ฿53.6K

86.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,071 $4,071

$590 ฿19.9K

590.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.57

9.52%

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

Last update for Modesto, CA: 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

Modesto, CA

$1.4K 50.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 77.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$442 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 46.9% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$374 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 74.7% $280

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$269 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 71.2% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$136 5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 20.4% $28

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 8.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$60 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 16.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,302 in Modesto, CA 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 Modesto, CA are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Modesto, CA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $442 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

18:40 6:40 PM

15 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

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 →

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Between locations

Modesto, CA Chiang Mai 12,480 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, 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

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

Modesto, CA costs about 189% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,062 per month in Modesto, 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 $482 there versus $1,302 in Modesto, CA.

Kindergarten costs $1,836 per month in Modesto, CA 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 88% more in Modesto, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,708 in Modesto, CA 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.

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