Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocean Shores, WA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,814 in Ocean Shores, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Ocean Shores, WA
Learn more

Ocean Shores, WA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Ocean Shores, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,814

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,814 per month in Ocean Shores, WA vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ocean Shores, WA $2,814
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,147 per month in Ocean Shores, WA vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ocean Shores, WA $4,147
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,480 per month in Ocean Shores, WA vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ocean Shores, WA $5,480
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ocean Shores, WA costs about 201% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ocean Shores, WA sits 107% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.79 $24.79

$2.24 ฿75.5

1006.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$19.00 ฿640

431.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$5.55 ฿187

174.23%

Cappuccino

$6.77 $6.77

$1.67 ฿56.4

305.39%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$0.64 ฿21.51

392.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.31 ฿10.29

912.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$2.36 ฿79.5

244.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.66 ฿123

122.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.95 ฿65.7

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.44 ฿48.41

125.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$1.33 ฿44.97

303.76%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$2.28 ฿77.0

51.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$16.45 ฿554

-31.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$2.78 ฿93.8

123.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$9.31 ฿314

77.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.35 ฿79.3

90.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.97 ฿32.75

91.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.60 ฿53.8

110.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$1.50 ฿50.6

319.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.28 ฿43.06

172.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.10 ฿37.14

187.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.71 ฿23.79

176.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.49 ฿16.34

302.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 $12.42

$4.14 ฿140

200.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$17.52 ฿590

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.61 ฿54.4

35.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.78 ฿93.8

-28.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.87 ฿29.27

125.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 $59.7

$54.1 ฿1,823

10.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.16 ฿39.00

130.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.53 ฿17.78

224.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

$2.42 ฿81.6

1118.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.45 ฿48.82

-2.07%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

75.82%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

-4.42%

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

$302 $302

$62.2 ฿2,095

385.04%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$12.17 ฿410

463.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 $87.5

$20.12 ฿678

334.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$37.31 ฿1,257

-5.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$18.30 $18.30

$6.49 ฿219

181.97%

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

$2,796 $2,796

$736 ฿24.8K

279.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K $31.0K

$14.8K ฿497.6K

109.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 $80.0

$53.4 ฿1,799

49.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 $55.3

$24.64 ฿830

124.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$91.5 ฿3,083

39.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$71.9 ฿2,424

122.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 $1,413

$482 ฿16.3K

192.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$309 ฿10.4K

302.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,604 $2,604

$1,006 ฿33.9K

158.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$633 ฿21.3K

226.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,770 $2,770

$2,363 ฿79.6K

17.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 $2,491

$1,589 ฿53.6K

56.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Ocean Shores, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ocean Shores, WA

$1.2K 44.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.2% $935

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ocean Shores, WA

$458 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 79.4% $363

Eating Out

Ocean Shores, WA

$407 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 81% $330

Groceries & Markets

Ocean Shores, WA

$365 13%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 35.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Ocean Shores, WA

$190 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 42.9% $82

Getting Around

Ocean Shores, WA

$79 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 22.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ocean Shores, WA

$72 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 29.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,413 in Ocean Shores, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Ocean Shores, WA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ocean Shores, WA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

08:04 8:04 AM

14 h ahead of Ocean Shores, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,700

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ocean Shores, WA Chiang Mai 11,520 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Ocean Shores, 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

Ocean Shores, WA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ocean Shores, WA costs about 201% 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 $4,221 per month in Ocean Shores, 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 $1,413 in Ocean Shores, WA.

Kindergarten costs $2,796 per month in Ocean Shores, 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 56% more in Ocean Shores, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,814 in Ocean Shores, 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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 67% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.