Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Murphysboro, IL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Murphysboro, IL
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Murphysboro, IL Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Murphysboro, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,693

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,693 per month in Murphysboro, IL vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Murphysboro, IL $1,693
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Murphysboro, IL vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Murphysboro, IL $2,573
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,453 per month in Murphysboro, IL vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Murphysboro, IL $3,453
Chiang Mai $1,903

Murphysboro, IL costs about 83% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Murphysboro, IL sits 25% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 $17.97

$2.29 ฿76.5

684.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 $86.1

$19.64 ฿656

338.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$5.61 ฿188

110.70%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$1.66 ฿55.6

318.07%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$0.70 ฿23.40

307.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.31 ฿10.24

674.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$2.41 ฿80.4

184.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.71 ฿124

116.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.95 ฿65.3

-58.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.41 ฿47.03

29.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.31 ฿43.62

205.34%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$2.18 ฿72.9

92.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$16.65 ฿556

-21.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$2.76 ฿92.2

250.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$9.11 ฿304

70.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.39 ฿80.0

140.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.03 ฿34.26

54.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.63 ฿54.4

156.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$1.50 ฿50.0

238.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.29 ฿43.13

-17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.11 ฿37.03

80.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.72 ฿24.08

119.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.53 ฿17.59

45.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.14 $9.14

$4.31 ฿144

112.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$17.95 ฿600

-43.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.58 ฿52.9

50.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.84 ฿95.0

47.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.86 ฿28.86

151.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.21 ฿40.29

315.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.57 ฿18.99

175.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.95 $20.95

$2.35 ฿78.6

791.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.44 ฿47.96

-31.25%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

80.93%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-0.40%

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

$189 $189

$62.3 ฿2,083

203.99%

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

$33.50 $33.50

$12.11 ฿405

176.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.96 $38.96

$19.94 ฿666

95.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 $37.79

$37.07 ฿1,239

1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 $8.84

$6.50 ฿217

36.00%

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

$1,463 $1,463

$793 ฿26.5K

84.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K $30.0K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

102.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.16 $33.16

$53.7 ฿1,796

-38.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 $34.71

$24.62 ฿823

40.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$90.9 ฿3,036

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$71.1 ฿2,378

59.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 $643

$455 ฿15.2K

41.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 $560

$298 ฿9,954

87.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 $894

$908 ฿30.4K

-1.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 $842

$554 ฿18.5K

52.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 $934

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-51.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$993 $993

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-31.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,534 $2,534

$591 ฿19.7K

328.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.57

17.59%

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

Last update for Murphysboro, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Murphysboro, IL

$560 33.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 46.8% $262

Groceries & Markets

Murphysboro, IL

$337 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 30.2% $102

Eating Out

Murphysboro, IL

$334 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 76.5% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Murphysboro, IL

$262 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 64% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Murphysboro, IL

$124 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 12.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Murphysboro, IL

$55 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 9.8% $5.4

Getting Around

Murphysboro, IL

$22 * 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 183% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $643 in Murphysboro, IL versus $455 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 run about 329% higher in Murphysboro, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Murphysboro, IL versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Murphysboro, IL

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

13:01 1:01 PM

12 h ahead of Murphysboro, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Murphysboro, IL Chiang Mai 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Murphysboro, IL
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

Murphysboro, IL vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Murphysboro, IL costs about 83% 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 $2,540 per month in Murphysboro, IL and $1,388 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Murphysboro, IL and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Murphysboro, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Murphysboro, IL at $1,693. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Murphysboro, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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