Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Joseph, MO and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,526 in Saint Joseph, MO, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MO
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Saint Joseph, MO Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Saint Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,526

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,526 per month in Saint Joseph, MO vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MO $2,526
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,681 per month in Saint Joseph, MO vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MO $3,681
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,836 per month in Saint Joseph, MO vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MO $4,836
Chiang Mai $1,999

Saint Joseph, MO costs about 170% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Saint Joseph, MO sits 87% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 $20.12

$2.13 ฿71.7

844.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 $49.48

$18.62 ฿625

165.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$5.60 ฿188

93.04%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$1.66 ฿55.9

201.20%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$0.65 ฿21.73

212.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.30 ฿10.24

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.32 ฿78.0

110.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.67 ฿123

114.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.02 ฿67.7

-55.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.41 ฿47.29

131.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$1.39 ฿46.75

351.08%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$2.37 ฿79.5

97.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$16.52 ฿555

-31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 $8.37

$2.67 ฿89.7

213.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$9.02 ฿303

67.41%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$2.40 ฿80.6

176.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.04 ฿34.98

101.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$1.66 ฿55.7

251.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.56 ฿52.4

169.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.24 ฿41.57

173.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.09 ฿36.50

239.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.76 ฿25.59

147.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.51 ฿17.27

401.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$4.12 ฿138

115.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.28 $17.28

$17.93 ฿602

-3.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.62 ฿54.5

10.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.82 ฿94.8

-8.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.93 ฿31.39

87.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 $67.3

$52.9 ฿1,777

27.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.18 ฿39.52

315.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.17 ฿5.76

964.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.06 $35.06

$1.81 ฿60.9

1837.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.47 ฿49.47

-26.53%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$21.0K ฿705.8K

30.05%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.5K ฿890.7K

-1.81%

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

$147 $147

$62.6 ฿2,101

134.80%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$11.60 ฿390

310.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$20.30 ฿682

227.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 $35.95

$37.88 ฿1,272

-5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$6.51 ฿219

128.11%

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

$821 $821

$727 ฿24.4K

12.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,129 $9,129

$16.6K ฿556.7K

-44.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.88 $47.88

$53.5 ฿1,798

-10.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.87 $34.87

$24.80 ฿833

40.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$90.4 ฿3,036

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$72.0 ฿2,418

61.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$481 ฿16.2K

231.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$310 ฿10.4K

311.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,535 $2,535

$1,058 ฿35.5K

139.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$659 ฿22.1K

224.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,566 $1,566

$2,418 ฿81.2K

-35.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,537 $1,537

$1,609 ฿54.0K

-4.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,808 $2,808

$595 ฿20.0K

372.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.57

14.36%

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

Last update for Saint Joseph, MO: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Joseph, MO

$1.3K 50.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75.7% $964

Groceries & Markets

Saint Joseph, MO

$401 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 41% $165

Eating Out

Saint Joseph, MO

$306 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 75% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Joseph, MO

$261 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 63.8% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Joseph, MO

$130 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 16.8% $22

Getting Around

Saint Joseph, MO

$88 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 33.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Joseph, MO

$66 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 22.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Saint Joseph, MO 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 Saint Joseph, MO are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Saint Joseph, MO versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MO

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

13 h ahead of Saint Joseph, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,780

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

Saint Joseph, MO Chiang Mai 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Joseph, MO
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

Saint Joseph, MO vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Joseph, MO costs about 170% 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 $3,790 per month in Saint Joseph, MO 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 $1,594 in Saint Joseph, MO.

Kindergarten costs $821 per month in Saint Joseph, MO 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 Saint Joseph, MO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,526 in Saint Joseph, MO 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, Saint Joseph, MO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.