Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Haven, CT and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,467 in New Haven, CT, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in New Haven, CT
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New Haven, CT Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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New Haven, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,467

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,467 per month in New Haven, CT vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Haven, CT $2,467
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $4,066 per month in New Haven, CT vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Haven, CT $4,066
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $5,665 per month in New Haven, CT vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Haven, CT $5,665
Chiang Mai $1,903

New Haven, CT costs about 167% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

New Haven, CT sits 82% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$2.29 ฿76.5

765.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$19.64 ฿656

286.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.98 $12.98

$5.61 ฿188

131.37%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$1.66 ฿55.6

207.23%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$0.70 ฿23.40

204.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.31 ฿10.24

409.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.41 ฿80.4

145.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 $7.89

$3.71 ฿124

112.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.95 ฿65.3

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.41 ฿47.03

211.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$1.31 ฿43.62

464.12%

Eggs

$5.81 $5.81

$2.18 ฿72.9

166.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 $10.68

$16.65 ฿556

-35.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$2.76 ฿92.2

280.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$9.11 ฿304

87.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.39 ฿80.0

123.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.03 ฿34.26

66.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.63 ฿54.4

104.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.50 ฿50.0

103.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.29 ฿43.13

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.11 ฿37.03

120.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.72 ฿24.08

277.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$0.53 ฿17.59

435.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$4.31 ฿144

175.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.13 $17.13

$17.95 ฿600

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.58 ฿52.9

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.84 ฿95.0

-1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.86 ฿28.86

101.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 $63.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

18.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.21 ฿40.29

142.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.57 ฿18.99

254.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.21 $24.21

$2.35 ฿78.6

930.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.44 ฿47.96

-24.31%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

32.66%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-3.21%

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

$176 $176

$62.3 ฿2,083

182.02%

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

$36.44 $36.44

$12.11 ฿405

200.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 $57.6

$19.94 ฿666

188.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 $31.68

$37.07 ฿1,239

-14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 $12.68

$6.50 ฿217

95.08%

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

$2,177 $2,177

$793 ฿26.5K

174.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

62.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.10 $38.10

$53.7 ฿1,796

-29.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 $16.58

$24.62 ฿823

-32.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 $76.6

$90.9 ฿3,036

-15.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$71.1 ฿2,378

123.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$455 ฿15.2K

304.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 $1,195

$298 ฿9,954

301.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,141 $4,141

$908 ฿30.4K

355.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 $2,825

$554 ฿18.5K

410.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,021 $3,021

$1,931 ฿64.5K

56.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,657 $2,657

$1,445 ฿48.3K

83.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,102 $4,102

$591 ฿19.7K

594.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for New Haven, CT: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Haven, CT

$1.2K 48.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 75.1% $897

Groceries & Markets

New Haven, CT

$413 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 43% $178

Eating Out

New Haven, CT

$319 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 75.4% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Haven, CT

$270 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 65% $175

Clothing & Footwear

New Haven, CT

$131 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 17.2% $22

Getting Around

New Haven, CT

$83 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 26.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

New Haven, CT

$57 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 12.3% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,844 in New Haven, CT 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 594% higher in New Haven, CT, 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 $76.0 in New Haven, CT versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Haven, CT

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

06:37 6:37 AM

11 h ahead of New Haven, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,001

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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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New Haven, CT Chiang Mai 13,280 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

New Haven, CT
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 Haven, CT vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Haven, CT costs about 167% 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 $3,701 per month in New Haven, CT 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.

Kindergarten costs $2,177 per month in New Haven, CT and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in New Haven, CT, 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 New Haven, CT at $2,467. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Haven, CT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,467 in New Haven, CT. 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 Haven, CT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.