Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,641 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,641 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $2,641
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,828 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $3,828
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,016 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $5,016
Chiang Mai $1,999

Port Arthur, TX costs about 182% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Port Arthur, TX sits 95% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.08 $19.08

$2.13 ฿71.7

795.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$18.62 ฿625

300.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$5.60 ฿188

95.36%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$1.66 ฿55.9

213.86%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$0.65 ฿21.73

295.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.30 ฿10.24

573.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.32 ฿78.0

153.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$3.67 ฿123

93.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.02 ฿67.7

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.41 ฿47.29

143.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.39 ฿46.75

209.35%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.37 ฿79.5

76.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$16.52 ฿555

-25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 $11.44

$2.67 ฿89.7

328.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$9.02 ฿303

69.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.40 ฿80.6

101.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.04 ฿34.98

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.66 ฿55.7

158.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.56 ฿52.4

196.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.24 ฿41.57

130.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.09 ฿36.50

161.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.76 ฿25.59

168.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.51 ฿17.27

315.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.37 $9.37

$4.12 ฿138

127.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.91 $13.91

$17.93 ฿602

-22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.62 ฿54.5

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.82 ฿94.8

21.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.93 ฿31.39

120.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 $58.8

$52.9 ฿1,777

11.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.18 ฿39.52

189.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.17 ฿5.76

835.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.77 $28.77

$1.81 ฿60.9

1489.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.47 ฿49.47

-42.18%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$21.0K ฿705.8K

39.80%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.5K ฿890.7K

-5.22%

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

$189 $189

$62.6 ฿2,101

202.73%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$11.60 ฿390

350.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$20.30 ฿682

237.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.23 $42.23

$37.88 ฿1,272

11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$6.51 ฿219

106.30%

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

$1,273 $1,273

$727 ฿24.4K

75.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$16.6K ฿556.7K

42.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$53.5 ฿1,798

-5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 $39.98

$24.80 ฿833

61.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$90.4 ฿3,036

-5.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$72.0 ฿2,418

52.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$481 ฿16.2K

238.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$310 ฿10.4K

338.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,633 $2,633

$1,058 ฿35.5K

148.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 $2,186

$659 ฿22.1K

231.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,825 $2,825

$2,418 ฿81.2K

16.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$1,609 ฿54.0K

51.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

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 Port Arthur, TX: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Arthur, TX

$1.4K 51.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 77.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$385 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 38.5% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 69.5% $216

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 75.3% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$129 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 15.9% $20

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$78 3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 25.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$69 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 26.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Port Arthur, TX versus $481 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 $75 in Port Arthur, TX versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

00:00 12:00 AM

13 h ahead of Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Arthur, TX Chiang Mai 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Arthur, TX
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

Port Arthur, TX vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Arthur, TX costs about 182% 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 $3,961 per month in Port Arthur, TX 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 $481 there versus $1,628 in Port Arthur, TX.

Kindergarten costs $1,273 per month in Port Arthur, TX and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Port Arthur, TX, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,641 in Port Arthur, TX and $935 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 65% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.