Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roma, TX and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,589 in Roma, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Roma, TX
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Roma, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Roma, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Roma, TX vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roma, TX $2,589
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Roma, TX vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roma, TX $3,801
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,012 per month in Roma, TX vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roma, TX $5,012
Chiang Mai $1,999

Roma, TX costs about 177% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Roma, TX sits 92% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$2.13 ฿72.0

850.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$18.62 ฿628

300.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$5.60 ฿189

102.32%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$1.66 ฿56.1

215.06%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$0.65 ฿21.83

323.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.30 ฿10.29

583.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.32 ฿78.4

159.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.67 ฿124

94.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.02 ฿68.0

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.41 ฿47.51

150.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.39 ฿46.96

206.47%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.37 ฿79.9

74.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 $12.56

$16.52 ฿557

-23.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$2.67 ฿90.1

337.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$9.02 ฿304

88.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.40 ฿80.9

116.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.04 ฿35.13

51.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.66 ฿56.0

153.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.56 ฿52.6

203.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.24 ฿41.76

125.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.09 ฿36.66

162.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.76 ฿25.70

188.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.51 ฿17.35

352.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$4.12 ฿139

147.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$17.93 ฿605

-17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.62 ฿54.8

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.82 ฿95.2

19.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.93 ฿31.53

111.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$52.9 ฿1,785

13.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.18 ฿39.70

184.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.17 ฿5.79

941.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.25 $26.25

$1.81 ฿61.1

1350.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.47 ฿49.69

-30.61%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

31.90%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-1.98%

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

$202 $202

$62.6 ฿2,111

222.57%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$11.60 ฿392

412.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$20.30 ฿685

245.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 $39.95

$37.88 ฿1,278

5.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.94 $19.94

$3.70 ฿125

438.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 $13.58

$6.51 ฿220

108.60%

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

$1,371 $1,371

$727 ฿24.5K

88.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

29.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$53.5 ฿1,807

0.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 $41.21

$24.80 ฿837

66.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$90.4 ฿3,050

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$72.0 ฿2,428

59.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$481 ฿16.2K

223.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$310 ฿10.5K

305.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 $2,599

$1,058 ฿35.7K

145.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 $2,067

$659 ฿22.2K

213.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 $2,866

$2,418 ฿81.6K

18.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 $2,372

$1,609 ฿54.3K

47.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,335 $1,335

$595 ฿20.1K

124.50%

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 Roma, TX: 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

Roma, TX

$1.3K 48.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75.3% $946

Groceries & Markets

Roma, TX

$399 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 40.7% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roma, TX

$331 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 71.5% $237

Eating Out

Roma, TX

$322 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 76.2% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Roma, TX

$134 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 19% $25

Getting Around

Roma, TX

$80 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 26.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Roma, TX

$67 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 24.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,556 in Roma, 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.

Salaries in Roma, TX are about 2.2 times higher, 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 $75 in Roma, TX 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

🇺🇸 Roma, TX

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

03:16 3:16 AM

13 h ahead of Roma, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,561

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 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 = 0.894 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Roma, TX Chiang Mai 14,630 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Roma, 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

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

Roma, TX costs about 177% 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 $3,884 per month in Roma, 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 $1,556 in Roma, TX.

Kindergarten costs $1,371 per month in Roma, 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 69% more in Roma, TX, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,589 in Roma, 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.

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