Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roy, UT and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,272 in Roy, UT, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Roy, UT
Learn more

Roy, UT Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Roy, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,272

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,272 per month in Roy, UT vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roy, UT $2,272
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,291 per month in Roy, UT vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roy, UT $3,291
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,311 per month in Roy, UT vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roy, UT $4,311
Chiang Mai $1,903

Roy, UT costs about 146% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Roy, UT sits 68% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.07 $18.07

$2.29 ฿76.5

689.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 $73.8

$19.64 ฿656

275.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$5.61 ฿188

77.18%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$1.66 ฿55.6

210.84%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$0.70 ฿23.40

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.31 ฿10.24

438.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.41 ฿80.4

142.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$3.71 ฿124

118.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.95 ฿65.3

-68.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.41 ฿47.03

88.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.31 ฿43.62

206.11%

Eggs

$3.47 $3.47

$2.18 ฿72.9

59.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 $11.82

$16.65 ฿556

-29.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$2.76 ฿92.2

335.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$9.11 ฿304

18.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.39 ฿80.0

74.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.03 ฿34.26

39.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.63 ฿54.4

130.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.50 ฿50.0

171.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.29 ฿43.13

79.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.11 ฿37.03

118.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.72 ฿24.08

165.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.53 ฿17.59

262.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$4.31 ฿144

135.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$17.95 ฿600

-16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.58 ฿52.9

67.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.84 ฿95.0

14.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.86 ฿28.86

138.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.14 $44.14

$53.3 ฿1,780

-17.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.21 ฿40.29

112.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.57 ฿18.99

292.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.02 $13.02

$2.35 ฿78.6

454.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.44 ฿47.96

-28.47%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

65.23%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-2.05%

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

$192 $192

$62.3 ฿2,083

207.54%

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

$49.23 $49.23

$12.11 ฿405

306.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 $80.2

$19.94 ฿666

302.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 $42.01

$37.07 ฿1,239

13.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 $15.01

$3.78 ฿126

297.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.85 $10.85

$6.50 ฿217

66.92%

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

$1,329 $1,329

$793 ฿26.5K

67.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K $21.0K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

41.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.54 $39.54

$53.7 ฿1,796

-26.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.97 $24.97

$24.62 ฿823

1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 $89.4

$90.9 ฿3,036

-1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$71.1 ฿2,378

49.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 $1,285

$455 ฿15.2K

182.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 $1,059

$298 ฿9,954

255.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$908 ฿30.4K

90.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 $1,648

$554 ฿18.5K

197.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,753 $2,753

$1,931 ฿64.5K

42.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,391 $2,391

$1,445 ฿48.3K

65.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.57

15.98%

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

Last update for Roy, UT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roy, UT

$1.1K 46.6%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 71.9% $761

Groceries & Markets

Roy, UT

$348 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 32.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roy, UT

$321 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 70.6% $227

Eating Out

Roy, UT

$297 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 73.6% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Roy, UT

$117 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 7.7% $9

Getting Around

Roy, UT

$66 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 8% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Roy, UT

$64 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 21.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,285 in Roy, UT versus $455 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 $74.0 in Roy, UT versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roy, UT

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

18:39 6:39 PM

13 h ahead of Roy, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,306

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Roy, UT Chiang Mai 12,620 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Roy, UT
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

Roy, UT vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roy, UT costs about 146% 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 $3,408 per month in Roy, UT and $1,388 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,329 per month in Roy, UT and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Roy, UT, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Roy, UT at $2,272. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roy, UT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,272 in Roy, UT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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