Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $47,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

238

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,929

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,929 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $4,929
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $6,391 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $6,391
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $7,853 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $7,853
Chiang Mai $1,914

San Rafael, CA costs about 425% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Rafael, CA sits 265% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.68 $24.68

$2.26 ฿75.4

992.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$19.18 ฿641

523.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$5.59 ฿187

115.56%

Cappuccino

$4.74 $4.74

$1.72 ฿57.6

175.58%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$0.64 ฿21.54

373.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.33 ฿11.18

787.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.36 ฿78.7

127.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.90 ฿130

78.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.05 ฿68.6

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.40 ฿46.70

222.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$1.28 ฿42.89

657.03%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$2.25 ฿75.3

140.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.21 $23.21

$16.94 ฿566

37.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$2.74 ฿91.6

463.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.15 $18.15

$9.36 ฿313

93.91%

Apples (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$2.40 ฿80.3

217.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.01 ฿33.92

190.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$1.61 ฿53.9

290.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$1.52 ฿50.7

464.47%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$1.28 ฿42.90

360.16%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.11 ฿37.22

390.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$0.72 ฿24.09

326.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$0.52 ฿17.54

648.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$4.33 ฿145

150.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.96 $12.96

$17.73 ฿593

-26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.63 ฿54.4

36.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.85 ฿95.3

4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.85 ฿28.31

141.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$53.9 ฿1,801

21.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.17 ฿39.18

250.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 $4.44

$0.57 ฿19.00

678.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.84 $28.84

$2.37 ฿79.2

1116.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.45 ฿48.32

-0.69%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

56.50%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-0.29%

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

$253 $253

$62.3 ฿2,083

306.64%

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

$85.4 $85.4

$12.27 ฿410

596.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$19.97 ฿668

207.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$37.91 ฿1,267

226.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.21 $30.21

$3.76 ฿126

703.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$6.71 ฿224

95.83%

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

$2,088 $2,088

$797 ฿26.6K

161.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

68.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$53.3 ฿1,780

12.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 $42.92

$25.05 ฿837

71.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 $96.8

$91.6 ฿3,062

5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$73.5 ฿2,455

72.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,074 $3,074

$464 ฿15.5K

562.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,202 $3,202

$305 ฿10.2K

950.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,278 $4,278

$915 ฿30.6K

367.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 $3,860

$552 ฿18.5K

598.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,456 $7,456

$1,912 ฿63.9K

289.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,281 $5,281

$1,438 ฿48.1K

267.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 $7,077

$595 ฿19.9K

1088.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.57

18.85%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$3.2K 65%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 90.5% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$575 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 58.6% $337

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$400 8.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 76.4% $306

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$355 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 77.8% $276

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 65.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$147 3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 25.3% $37

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$100 2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 38.8% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,074 in San Rafael, CA versus $464 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 run about 1089% higher in San Rafael, CA, 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 $120 in San Rafael, CA versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $575 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

02:54 2:54 AM

14 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

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San Rafael, CA Chiang Mai 12,360 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

San Rafael, CA
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

San Rafael, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Rafael, CA costs about 425% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,394 per month in San Rafael, CA and $1,408 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 $2,088 per month in San Rafael, CA and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 142% more in San Rafael, CA, 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 $938, than in San Rafael, CA at $4,929. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $4,929 in San Rafael, CA. 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, San Rafael, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.