Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roanoke, AL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,443 in Roanoke, AL, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Roanoke, AL
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Roanoke, AL Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Roanoke, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,443

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,443 per month in Roanoke, AL vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roanoke, AL $2,443
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,736 per month in Roanoke, AL vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roanoke, AL $3,736
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,030 per month in Roanoke, AL vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roanoke, AL $5,030
Chiang Mai $1,999

Roanoke, AL costs about 161% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Roanoke, AL sits 81% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 $20.13

$2.13 ฿72.0

845.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$18.62 ฿628

296.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 $11.56

$5.60 ฿189

106.43%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$1.66 ฿56.1

217.47%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$0.65 ฿21.83

307.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.30 ฿10.29

573.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.32 ฿78.4

154.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.67 ฿124

79.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.02 ฿68.0

-48.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.41 ฿47.51

156.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.39 ฿46.96

256.12%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.37 ฿79.9

72.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$16.52 ฿557

-35.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$2.67 ฿90.1

332.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 $17.03

$9.02 ฿304

88.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.40 ฿80.9

115.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.04 ฿35.13

58.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.66 ฿56.0

169.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.56 ฿52.6

197.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.24 ฿41.76

129.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.09 ฿36.66

142.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.76 ฿25.70

207.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.51 ฿17.35

398.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$4.12 ฿139

152.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$17.93 ฿605

-16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.62 ฿54.8

13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.82 ฿95.2

6.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.93 ฿31.53

92.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$52.9 ฿1,785

14.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.18 ฿39.70

166.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.17 ฿5.79

1005.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.55 $25.55

$1.81 ฿61.1

1311.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.47 ฿49.69

-34.69%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

24.28%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-7.07%

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

$196 $196

$62.6 ฿2,111

213.43%

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

$67.0 $67.0

$11.60 ฿392

477.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$20.30 ฿685

240.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 $40.23

$37.88 ฿1,278

6.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$6.51 ฿220

111.98%

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

$1,342 $1,342

$727 ฿24.5K

84.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

38.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$53.5 ฿1,807

0.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.09 $41.09

$24.80 ฿837

65.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$90.4 ฿3,050

-0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$72.0 ฿2,428

60.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 $1,673

$481 ฿16.2K

247.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 $1,108

$310 ฿10.5K

257.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 $2,534

$1,058 ฿35.7K

139.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$659 ฿22.2K

219.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,844 $2,844

$2,418 ฿81.6K

17.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 $2,343

$1,609 ฿54.3K

45.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.57

18.31%

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

Last update for Roanoke, AL: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roanoke, AL

$1.1K 45.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 72% $798

Groceries & Markets

Roanoke, AL

$399 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 40.7% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roanoke, AL

$332 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 71.6% $238

Eating Out

Roanoke, AL

$320 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 76.1% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Roanoke, AL

$135 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 19.8% $27

Getting Around

Roanoke, AL

$80 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 26.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Roanoke, AL

$68 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 25% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Roanoke, AL 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 $74 in Roanoke, AL versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roanoke, AL

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

00:22 12:22 AM

13 h ahead of Roanoke, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,837

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Roanoke, AL Chiang Mai 14,220 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Roanoke, AL
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

Roanoke, AL vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roanoke, AL costs about 161% 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 $3,664 per month in Roanoke, AL 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 $1,673 in Roanoke, AL.

Kindergarten costs $1,342 per month in Roanoke, AL 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 69% more in Roanoke, AL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,443 in Roanoke, AL 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 62% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.