Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moses Lake, WA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,396 in Moses Lake, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Moses Lake, WA
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Moses Lake, WA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Moses Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,396

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,396 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $2,396
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,595 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $3,595
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,795 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $4,795
Chiang Mai $1,979

Moses Lake, WA costs about 156% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Moses Lake, WA sits 76% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.18 $18.18

$2.24 ฿75.6

711.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$19.00 ฿641

320.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 $12.28

$5.55 ฿187

121.26%

Cappuccino

$4.38 $4.38

$1.67 ฿56.5

162.28%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$0.64 ฿21.55

359.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.31 ฿10.31

725.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.36 ฿79.6

95.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.66 ฿124

122.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.95 ฿65.8

-62.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.44 ฿48.48

165.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.33 ฿45.04

206.77%

Eggs

$3.50 $3.50

$2.28 ฿77.1

53.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 $9.10

$16.45 ฿555

-44.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$2.78 ฿93.9

298.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$9.31 ฿314

44.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.35 ฿79.4

151.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.97 ฿32.80

67.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.60 ฿53.9

235.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$1.50 ฿50.6

274.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.28 ฿43.12

172.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.10 ฿37.19

195.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.71 ฿23.82

309.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.49 ฿16.37

342.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$4.14 ฿140

181.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.52 ฿591

-15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.61 ฿54.5

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.78 ฿94.0

51.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.87 ฿29.31

128.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.1 ฿1,826

23.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.16 ฿39.06

113.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.53 ฿17.80

198.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.13 $30.13

$2.42 ฿81.8

1145.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.45 ฿48.90

-20.00%

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

$31.5K $31.5K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

49.73%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-4.03%

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

$154 $154

$62.2 ฿2,098

148.45%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$12.17 ฿411

475.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$20.12 ฿679

276.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.80 $41.80

$37.31 ฿1,259

12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 $11.65

$6.49 ฿219

79.51%

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

$1,113 $1,113

$736 ฿24.8K

51.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

110.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$53.4 ฿1,801

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.09 $25.09

$24.64 ฿831

1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.61 $46.61

$91.5 ฿3,087

-49.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 $81.4

$71.9 ฿2,428

13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$482 ฿16.3K

212.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 $1,167

$309 ฿10.4K

277.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 $2,244

$1,006 ฿33.9K

123.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 $2,029

$633 ฿21.4K

220.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,621 $2,621

$2,363 ฿79.8K

10.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 $2,840

$1,589 ฿53.6K

78.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,063 $9,063

$590 ฿19.9K

1436.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

5.57

23.70%

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

Last update for Moses Lake, WA: 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

Moses Lake, WA

$1.2K 48.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 73.5% $858

Groceries & Markets

Moses Lake, WA

$390 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 39.8% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moses Lake, WA

$300 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 68.5% $206

Eating Out

Moses Lake, WA

$296 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 73.8% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Moses Lake, WA

$93 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 17.3% $16

Getting Around

Moses Lake, WA

$85 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 28.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Moses Lake, WA

$65 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Moses Lake, WA 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 Moses Lake, WA are about 15 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Moses Lake, WA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $390 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Moses Lake, WA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

14:09 2:09 PM

15 h ahead of Moses Lake, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,146

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Moses Lake, WA Chiang Mai 11,750 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Moses Lake, WA
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

Moses Lake, WA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moses Lake, WA costs about 156% 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 $3,594 per month in Moses Lake, WA 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 $1,505 in Moses Lake, WA.

Kindergarten costs $1,113 per month in Moses Lake, WA 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 66% more in Moses Lake, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,396 in Moses Lake, WA 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, Moses Lake, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.