Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novi, MI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,534 in Novi, MI, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Novi, MI
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Novi, MI Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Novi, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,534

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,534 per month in Novi, MI vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novi, MI $2,534
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,818 per month in Novi, MI vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novi, MI $3,818
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,101 per month in Novi, MI vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novi, MI $5,101
Chiang Mai $1,914

Novi, MI costs about 170% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Novi, MI sits 88% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 $17.56

$2.26 ฿75.4

676.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.8 $86.8

$19.18 ฿641

352.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 $8.62

$5.59 ฿187

54.20%

Cappuccino

$3.97 $3.97

$1.72 ฿57.6

130.81%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$0.64 ฿21.54

314.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.33 ฿11.18

566.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 $6.43

$2.36 ฿78.7

172.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 $7.28

$3.90 ฿130

86.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.05 ฿68.6

-55.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.40 ฿46.70

174.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$1.28 ฿42.89

360.16%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.25 ฿75.3

48.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.88 $21.88

$16.94 ฿566

29.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.76 $16.76

$2.74 ฿91.6

511.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.35 $24.35

$9.36 ฿313

160.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$2.40 ฿80.3

172.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.01 ฿33.92

185.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.61 ฿53.9

165.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.52 ฿50.7

203.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.28 ฿42.90

135.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.11 ฿37.22

164.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.72 ฿24.09

194.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.52 ฿17.54

275.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.37 $9.37

$4.33 ฿145

116.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$17.73 ฿593

-8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.63 ฿54.4

37.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.85 ฿95.3

14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.85 ฿28.31

108.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.17 ฿39.18

195.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.57 ฿19.00

217.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.21 $27.21

$2.37 ฿79.2

1048.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 ฿48.32

-31.72%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

51.21%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

0.55%

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

$193 $193

$62.3 ฿2,083

209.58%

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

$40.15 $40.15

$12.27 ฿410

227.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$19.97 ฿668

299.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.52 $41.52

$37.91 ฿1,267

9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 $14.16

$6.71 ฿224

111.03%

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

$1,548 $1,548

$797 ฿26.6K

94.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

57.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.14 $46.14

$53.3 ฿1,780

-13.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 $41.61

$25.05 ฿837

66.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$91.6 ฿3,062

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$73.5 ฿2,455

53.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 $1,691

$464 ฿15.5K

264.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 $1,228

$305 ฿10.2K

302.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,953 $2,953

$915 ฿30.6K

222.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$552 ฿18.5K

287.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,759 $2,759

$1,912 ฿63.9K

44.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 $2,377

$1,438 ฿48.1K

65.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,240 $6,240

$595 ฿19.9K

948.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.93

5.57

24.42%

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

Last update for Novi, MI: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novi, MI

$1.2K 48.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 75.2% $923

Groceries & Markets

Novi, MI

$494 19.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 51.8% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novi, MI

$313 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 69.8% $218

Eating Out

Novi, MI

$280 11.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 71.8% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Novi, MI

$130 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 15.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Novi, MI

$70 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 26.5% $18

Getting Around

Novi, MI

$20 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 213% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Novi, MI 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 948% higher in Novi, MI, 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 $87.0 in Novi, MI versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Novi, MI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

09:04 9:04 AM

11 h ahead of Novi, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,243

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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Between locations

Novi, MI Chiang Mai 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Novi, MI
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

Novi, MI vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novi, MI costs about 170% 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 $3,801 per month in Novi, MI 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Novi, MI and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 108% more in Novi, MI, 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 Novi, MI at $2,534. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Novi, MI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,534 in Novi, MI. 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, Novi, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.