Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa, IL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,495 in Ottawa, IL, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

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

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,495 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $2,495
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,579 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $3,579
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,663 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $4,663
Chiang Mai $1,979

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

Ottawa, IL sits 83% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 $14.87

$2.24 ฿75.7

563.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$19.00 ฿642

214.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.55 ฿188

76.76%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$1.67 ฿56.6

186.83%

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

$2.17 $2.17

$0.64 ฿21.56

239.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.31 ฿10.32

477.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.36 ฿79.6

131.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 $5.36

$3.66 ฿124

46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.95 ฿65.8

-60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.44 ฿48.51

115.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.33 ฿45.07

125.56%

Eggs

$3.85 $3.85

$2.28 ฿77.1

68.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$16.45 ฿556

-25.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.78 ฿94.0

115.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$9.31 ฿314

33.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.35 ฿79.5

50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.97 ฿32.82

48.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.60 ฿53.9

101.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.50 ฿50.7

190.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.28 ฿43.15

57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.10 ฿37.22

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.71 ฿23.84

209.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.49 ฿16.38

148.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.39 $12.39

$4.14 ฿140

199.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$17.52 ฿592

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.61 ฿54.5

34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.78 ฿94.0

41.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.87 ฿29.33

120.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$54.1 ฿1,827

16.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.16 ฿39.08

113.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.53 ฿17.82

198.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.24 $28.24

$2.42 ฿81.8

1066.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 ฿48.93

-22.76%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

28.67%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

0.72%

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

$241 $241

$62.2 ฿2,100

286.99%

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

$45.26 $45.26

$12.17 ฿411

271.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$20.12 ฿680

238.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.92 $36.92

$37.31 ฿1,260

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 $26.55

$3.77 ฿127

604.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 $11.43

$6.49 ฿219

76.12%

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

$1,012 $1,012

$736 ฿24.9K

37.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K $19.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

34.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.00 $49.00

$53.4 ฿1,802

-8.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 $44.39

$24.64 ฿832

80.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$91.5 ฿3,089

28.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$71.9 ฿2,429

68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 $1,494

$482 ฿16.3K

209.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$309 ฿10.4K

313.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$1,006 ฿34.0K

149.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 $2,088

$633 ฿21.4K

229.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,189 $3,189

$2,363 ฿79.8K

34.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$1,589 ฿53.7K

66.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,383 $2,383

$590 ฿19.9K

304.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.57

22.44%

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

Last update for Ottawa, IL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa, IL

$1.3K 51.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.8% $967

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa, IL

$354 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 73.3% $260

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa, IL

$314 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 25.3% $79

Eating Out

Ottawa, IL

$260 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 70.1% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa, IL

$150 6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 27.4% $41

Getting Around

Ottawa, IL

$81 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 24.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa, IL

$60 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 15.9% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,494 in Ottawa, IL 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.

Salaries in Ottawa, IL are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Ottawa, IL versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

05:09 5:09 AM

12 h ahead of Ottawa, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ottawa, IL Chiang Mai 13,280 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa, 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

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

Ottawa, IL 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 $3,742 per month in Ottawa, IL 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 $1,494 in Ottawa, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,012 per month in Ottawa, IL 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 34% more in Ottawa, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,495 in Ottawa, IL 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.

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