Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Royal Oak, MI and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,713 in Royal Oak, MI, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Royal Oak, MI
Learn more

Royal Oak, MI Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Royal Oak, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,713

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,713 per month in Royal Oak, MI vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Royal Oak, MI $2,713
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $4,105 per month in Royal Oak, MI vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Royal Oak, MI $4,105
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,497 per month in Royal Oak, MI vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Royal Oak, MI $5,497
Chiang Mai $1,999

Royal Oak, MI costs about 190% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Royal Oak, MI sits 101% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.80 $17.80

$2.13 ฿71.8

735.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$18.62 ฿626

242.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.49 $12.49

$5.60 ฿188

123.04%

Cappuccino

$5.69 $5.69

$1.66 ฿55.9

242.77%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$0.65 ฿21.75

296.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.30 ฿10.25

563.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.32 ฿78.1

152.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 $7.99

$3.67 ฿123

117.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.02 ฿67.8

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.41 ฿47.34

141.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.39 ฿46.79

289.93%

Eggs

$3.99 $3.99

$2.37 ฿79.6

68.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$16.52 ฿555

-18.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.28 $11.28

$2.67 ฿89.8

322.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$9.02 ฿303

86.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.40 ฿80.6

110.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.04 ฿35.01

48.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.66 ฿55.8

153.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.56 ฿52.4

201.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.24 ฿41.61

113.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.09 ฿36.53

191.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.76 ฿25.61

202.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.51 ฿17.29

339.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.12 ฿139

143.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$17.93 ฿603

-15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.62 ฿54.6

50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.82 ฿94.9

19.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.93 ฿31.42

174.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 $71.2

$52.9 ฿1,778

34.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.18 ฿39.56

127.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.17 ฿5.76

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.82 $23.82

$1.81 ฿60.9

1216.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.47 ฿49.51

-27.89%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

60.13%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-2.59%

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

$211 $211

$62.6 ฿2,103

237.85%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$11.60 ฿390

460.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$20.30 ฿683

238.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$6.51 ฿219

83.72%

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

$1,031 $1,031

$727 ฿24.4K

41.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

24.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$53.5 ฿1,800

11.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 $38.23

$24.80 ฿834

54.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 $96.2

$90.4 ฿3,039

6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$72.0 ฿2,420

61.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$481 ฿16.2K

215.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$310 ฿10.4K

351.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 $3,532

$1,058 ฿35.6K

233.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 $2,678

$659 ฿22.1K

306.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,831 $5,831

$595 ฿20.0K

880.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

5.57

16.52%

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

Last update for Royal Oak, MI: 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

Royal Oak, MI

$1.4K 51.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 77.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Royal Oak, MI

$403 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 41.3% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Royal Oak, MI

$345 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.6% $251

Eating Out

Royal Oak, MI

$312 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 75.4% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Royal Oak, MI

$140 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 22.5% $31

Getting Around

Royal Oak, MI

$91 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 35.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Royal Oak, MI

$24 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 113% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,519 in Royal Oak, MI 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 Royal Oak, MI are about 9.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Royal Oak, MI versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Royal Oak, MI

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

08:43 8:43 AM

12 h ahead of Royal Oak, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,211

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Royal Oak, MI Chiang Mai 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Royal Oak, MI
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

Royal Oak, MI vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Royal Oak, MI costs about 190% 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 $4,069 per month in Royal Oak, MI 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 $1,519 in Royal Oak, MI.

Kindergarten costs $1,031 per month in Royal Oak, MI 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 70% more in Royal Oak, MI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,713 in Royal Oak, MI 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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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