Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,045 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,045

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,045 per month in South Portland, ME vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

South Portland, ME $3,045
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in South Portland, ME vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

South Portland, ME $4,568
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $6,091 per month in South Portland, ME vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

South Portland, ME $6,091
Chiang Mai $1,979

South Portland, ME costs about 225% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

South Portland, ME sits 124% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$2.24 ฿75.7

1013.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$19.00 ฿642

520.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$5.55 ฿188

165.05%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$1.67 ฿56.6

220.36%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$0.64 ฿21.56

382.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.31 ฿10.32

664.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.36 ฿79.6

230.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.66 ฿124

117.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.95 ฿65.8

-45.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.44 ฿48.51

204.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$1.33 ฿45.07

423.31%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$2.28 ฿77.1

76.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 $15.36

$16.45 ฿556

-6.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 $10.35

$2.78 ฿94.0

272.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 $15.97

$9.31 ฿314

71.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.35 ฿79.5

102.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.97 ฿32.82

70.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.60 ฿53.9

245.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$1.50 ฿50.7

407.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.28 ฿43.15

242.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.10 ฿37.22

243.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.71 ฿23.84

312.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.49 ฿16.38

428.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.31 $12.31

$4.14 ฿140

197.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$17.52 ฿592

-13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.61 ฿54.5

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.78 ฿94.0

-6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.87 ฿29.33

119.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.1 ฿1,827

-5.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.16 ฿39.08

76.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.53 ฿17.82

198.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 $10.94

$2.42 ฿81.8

352.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.45 ฿48.93

-24.83%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

30.54%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-0.81%

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

$239 $239

$62.2 ฿2,100

284.16%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$12.17 ฿411

461.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$20.12 ฿680

290.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 $40.18

$37.31 ฿1,260

7.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.61 $29.61

$3.77 ฿127

685.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$6.49 ฿219

130.35%

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

$401 $401

$736 ฿24.9K

-45.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

2.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$53.4 ฿1,802

-2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$24.64 ฿832

107.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$91.5 ฿3,089

12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$71.9 ฿2,429

82.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$482 ฿16.3K

308.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 $1,537

$309 ฿10.4K

397.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,166 $3,166

$1,006 ฿34.0K

214.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$633 ฿21.4K

311.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$2,363 ฿79.8K

17.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$1,589 ฿53.7K

46.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 $4,169

$590 ฿19.9K

606.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.57

19.39%

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

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 79.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 47.5% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$386 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 75.5% $291

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$385 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 79.8% $307

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$152 5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 28.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 28.2% $20

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$69 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 10.9% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,972 in South Portland, ME versus $482 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 South Portland, ME are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in South Portland, ME versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

21:11 9:11 PM

11 h ahead of South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

South Portland, ME Chiang Mai 12,990 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
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

South Portland, ME vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Portland, ME costs about 225% 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 $4,567 per month in South Portland, ME 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 $482 there versus $1,972 in South Portland, ME.

Kindergarten costs $401 per month in South Portland, ME and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 90% more in South Portland, ME, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,045 in South Portland, ME and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $3,045 in South Portland, ME. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, South Portland, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.