Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New City, NY and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $4,580 in New City, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

223

Cost of Living Index in New City, NY
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New City, NY Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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New City, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,580

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,580 per month in New City, NY vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New City, NY $4,580
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $6,397 per month in New City, NY vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New City, NY $6,397
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $8,214 per month in New City, NY vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New City, NY $8,214
Chiang Mai $1,914

New City, NY costs about 388% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

New City, NY sits 239% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 $13.87

$2.26 ฿75.4

513.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 $85.5

$19.18 ฿641

345.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$5.59 ฿187

95.17%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$1.72 ฿57.6

223.26%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$0.64 ฿21.54

232.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.33 ฿11.18

363.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$2.36 ฿78.7

230.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.90 ฿130

109.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.05 ฿68.6

-40.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.40 ฿46.70

207.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$1.28 ฿42.89

405.47%

Eggs

$5.82 $5.82

$2.25 ฿75.3

158.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$16.94 ฿566

-27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$2.74 ฿91.6

325.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.33 $17.33

$9.36 ฿313

85.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.40 ฿80.3

122.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.01 ฿33.92

26.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$1.61 ฿53.9

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$1.52 ฿50.7

318.42%

Potato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$1.28 ฿42.90

335.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.11 ฿37.22

246.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.72 ฿24.09

220.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.52 ฿17.54

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.51 $11.51

$4.33 ฿145

165.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$17.73 ฿593

-44.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.63 ฿54.4

4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.85 ฿95.3

88.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.85 ฿28.31

230.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 $127

$53.9 ฿1,801

135.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.17 ฿39.18

149.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.57 ฿19.00

250.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.86 $23.86

$2.37 ฿79.2

906.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.45 ฿48.32

-24.14%

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

$31.5K $31.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

53.81%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-2.61%

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

$201 $201

$62.3 ฿2,083

222.36%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$12.27 ฿410

514.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$19.97 ฿668

224.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$14.31 $14.31

$6.71 ฿224

113.26%

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

$1,961 $1,961

$797 ฿26.6K

146.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

57.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.04 $41.04

$53.3 ฿1,780

-22.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 $58.0

$25.05 ฿837

131.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 $70.7

$91.6 ฿3,062

-22.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$73.5 ฿2,455

104.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,074 $3,074

$464 ฿15.5K

562.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,205 $3,205

$305 ฿10.2K

951.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,671 $5,671

$915 ฿30.6K

519.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,124 $5,124

$552 ฿18.5K

827.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,040 $8,040

$595 ฿19.9K

1250.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.57

18.85%

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

Last update for New City, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New City, NY

$3.2K 70%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 90.5% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

New City, NY

$430 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 44.7% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New City, NY

$341 7.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 72.3% $247

Eating Out

New City, NY

$280 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 71.8% $201

Getting Around

New City, NY

$151 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 59.5% $90

Clothing & Footwear

New City, NY

$144 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 24% $35

Sport & Entertainment

New City, NY

$29 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 79.3% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,074 in New City, NY versus $464 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 1251% higher in New City, NY, 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 New City, NY versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New City, NY

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

07:16 7:16 AM

11 h ahead of New City, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,135

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

New City, NY Chiang Mai 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

New City, NY
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

New City, NY vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New City, NY costs about 388% 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 $6,870 per month in New City, NY and $1,408 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,961 per month in New City, NY and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in New City, NY, 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 $938, than in New City, NY at $4,580. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in New City, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $4,580 in New City, NY. 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, New City, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.