Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smyrna, GA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,850 in Smyrna, GA, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Smyrna, GA, United States
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Smyrna, GA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,850
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,850 per month in Smyrna, GA vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Smyrna, GA $2,850
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,994 per month in Smyrna, GA vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Smyrna, GA $3,994
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Smyrna, GA vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Smyrna, GA $5,139
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Smyrna, GA costs about 205% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Smyrna, GA sits 111% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.87 $16.87
$2.13 ฿71.6
692.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.3 $55.3
$18.62 ฿624
196.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.53 $10.53
$5.60 ฿188
88.04%
Cappuccino
$5.80 $5.80
$1.66 ฿55.8
249.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$0.65 ฿21.69
363.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$0.30 ฿10.22
633.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.68 $6.68
$2.32 ฿77.9
187.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.02 $8.02
$3.67 ฿123
118.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$2.02 ฿67.6
-54.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 $2.61
$1.41 ฿47.21
85.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.08 $4.08
$1.39 ฿46.67
193.53%
Eggs
$3.44 $3.44
$2.37 ฿79.4
45.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.93 $13.93
$16.52 ฿554
-15.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.13 $11.13
$2.67 ฿89.5
316.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.26 $15.26
$9.02 ฿302
69.18%
Apples (1kg)
$5.81 $5.81
$2.40 ฿80.4
142.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.04 ฿34.91
27.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.57 $5.57
$1.66 ฿55.6
235.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 $4.08
$1.56 ฿52.3
161.54%
Potato (1kg)
$3.38 $3.38
$1.24 ฿41.50
172.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.09 ฿36.44
134.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.76 ฿25.54
184.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 $2.00
$0.51 ฿17.24
292.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.66 $8.66
$4.12 ฿138
110.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.30 $15.30
$17.93 ฿601
-14.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.62 ฿54.4
4.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.85 $4.85
$2.82 ฿94.6
71.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.93 ฿31.33
165.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$52.9 ฿1,773
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 $3.57
$1.18 ฿39.45
202.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$0.17 ฿5.75
800.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.77 $23.77
$1.81 ฿60.8
1213.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.47 ฿49.38
-30.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.0K $32.0K
$21.0K ฿704.5K
52.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$26.5K ฿889.1K
0.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$255 $255
$62.6 ฿2,098
307.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.1 $54.1
$11.60 ฿389
366.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$80.9 $80.9
$20.30 ฿681
298.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$202 $202
$37.88 ฿1,270
432.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.24 $14.24
$3.70 ฿124
284.86%
Cinema Ticket
$16.66 $16.66
$6.51 ฿218
155.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,049 $1,049
$727 ฿24.4K
44.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.8K $19.8K
$16.6K ฿555.7K
19.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5 $54.5
$53.5 ฿1,795
1.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.20 $45.20
$24.80 ฿832
82.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.7 $83.7
$90.4 ฿3,031
-7.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.9 $87.9
$72.0 ฿2,413
22.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,659 $1,659
$481 ฿16.1K
244.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,390 $1,390
$310 ฿10.4K
348.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,933 $2,933
$1,058 ฿35.5K
177.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,123 $2,123
$659 ฿22.1K
222.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,387 $2,387
$2,418 ฿81.1K
-1.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,039 $2,039
$1,609 ฿53.9K
26.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Smyrna, GA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,429 $4,429
$595 ฿19.9K
644.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.56
5.57
17.77%

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

Last update for Smyrna, GA: 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
Smyrna, GA
$1.4K
Chiang Mai
$310 77.7% $1.1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Smyrna, GA
$390
Chiang Mai
$94 75.8% $295
Groceries & Markets
Smyrna, GA
$385
Chiang Mai
$237 38.5% $148
Eating Out
Smyrna, GA
$307
Chiang Mai
$77 75% $230
Sport & Entertainment
Smyrna, GA
$235
Chiang Mai
$51 78.3% $184
Clothing & Footwear
Smyrna, GA
$122
Chiang Mai
$108 11.3% $14
Getting Around
Smyrna, GA
$21 *
Chiang Mai
$59 178% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,659 in Smyrna, GA 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 Smyrna, GA are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Smyrna, GA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Smyrna, GA
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:50 5:50 PM
05:50 5:50 AM
12 h ahead of Smyrna, GA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,371
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Smyrna, GA Chiang Mai 14,150 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Smyrna, GA
  • 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
Smyrna, GA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Smyrna, GA or Chiang Mai?
Smyrna, GA costs about 205% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Smyrna, GA and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,274 per month in Smyrna, GA and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Smyrna, GA or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,659 in Smyrna, GA.
How do dining costs compare in Smyrna, GA and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Smyrna, GA and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Smyrna, GA or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 63% more in Smyrna, GA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Smyrna, GA or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,850 in Smyrna, GA and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Smyrna, GA or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Smyrna, GA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Smyrna, GA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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