Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria, CA and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria, CA and Chiang Mai

😐 Solo nomad: Santa Maria, CA is 84% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 268.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Santa Maria, CA is 84.9% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 215.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.33 $20.33
$2.01 ฿64.4
911.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.4 $71.4
$18.23 ฿583
291.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.29 $11.29
$7.65 ฿244
47.58%
Cappuccino
$4.76 $4.76
$1.92 ฿61.3
147.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 $2.49
$0.84 ฿26.90
196.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.36 ฿11.39
463.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.93 $5.93
$2.19 ฿70.0
170.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.82 $7.82
$3.79 ฿121
106.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.64 ฿52.4
-39.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.81 $2.81
$1.62 ฿51.8
73.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.81 $4.81
$1.15 ฿36.88
318.26%
Eggs
$3.42 $3.42
$1.94 ฿62.0
76.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.17 $10.17
$15.94 ฿510
-36.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.42 $8.42
$3.10 ฿99.2
171.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.26 $17.26
$11.07 ฿354
55.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.85 $3.85
$2.71 ฿86.5
42.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.18 ฿37.69
46.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 $3.52
$1.71 ฿54.5
105.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.61 ฿51.3
102.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.39 ฿44.53
110.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.15 ฿36.70
77.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 $1.71
$0.71 ฿22.76
140.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 $1.30
$0.55 ฿17.60
136.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.14 $11.14
$4.57 ฿146
143.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.86 $14.86
$18.87 ฿603
-21.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.82 ฿58.2
-3.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$3.21 ฿103
7.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.88 ฿28.16
131.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$18.89 ฿604
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.36 $3.36
$1.41 ฿45.17
138.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.30 ฿41.59
44.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.92 $24.92
$8.20 ฿262
203.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.23 ฿39.18
3.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K $36.2K
$21.2K ฿677.0K
70.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$22.3K ฿713.3K
32.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 $165
$69.9 ฿2,234
136.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.5 $50.5
$14.07 ฿450
258.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$85.1 $85.1
$17.70 ฿566
380.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.69 $43.69
$41.41 ฿1,324
5.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.69 ฿214
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.63 $14.63
$5.74 ฿184
154.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$978 $978
$299 ฿9,566
226.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K $13.0K
$15.0K ฿479.8K
-13.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 $55.2
$54.8 ฿1,753
0.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.66 $40.66
$26.35 ฿842
54.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.9 $71.9
$84.7 ฿2,706
-15.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.7 $78.7
$69.7 ฿2,229
12.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,282 $2,282
$427 ฿13.6K
434.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,084 $2,084
$241 ฿7,697
765.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,337 $3,337
$811 ฿25.9K
311.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,063 $3,063
$498 ฿15.9K
514.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,566 $8,566
$2,022 ฿64.7K
323.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,478 $8,478
$1,524 ฿48.7K
456.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Maria, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,225 $4,225
$639 ฿20.4K
560.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
5
30.20%

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

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: April 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

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

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