Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spring Valley, IL and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,937 in Spring Valley, IL, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Spring Valley, IL, United States
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Spring Valley, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,937
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,937 per month in Spring Valley, IL vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Spring Valley, IL $2,937
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,026 per month in Spring Valley, IL vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Spring Valley, IL $4,026
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Spring Valley, IL vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Spring Valley, IL $5,115
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Spring Valley, IL costs about 214% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Spring Valley, IL sits 116% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.63 $19.63
$2.24 ฿75.7
776.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 $68.0
$19.00 ฿642
258.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.13 $13.13
$5.55 ฿188
136.58%
Cappuccino
$5.64 $5.64
$1.67 ฿56.6
237.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 $3.06
$0.64 ฿21.56
378.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$0.31 ฿10.32
687.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.04 $7.04
$2.36 ฿79.6
198.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.04 $8.04
$3.66 ฿124
119.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.95 ฿65.8
-51.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 $3.52
$1.44 ฿48.51
144.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.14 $4.14
$1.33 ฿45.07
211.28%
Eggs
$3.78 $3.78
$2.28 ฿77.1
65.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 $15.08
$16.45 ฿556
-8.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.26 $13.26
$2.78 ฿94.0
376.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.60 $20.60
$9.31 ฿314
121.27%
Apples (1kg)
$4.85 $4.85
$2.35 ฿79.5
106.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 $1.64
$0.97 ฿32.82
69.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.26 $5.26
$1.60 ฿53.9
228.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$1.50 ฿50.7
218.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.28 ฿43.15
125.78%
Onion (1kg)
$2.96 $2.96
$1.10 ฿37.22
169.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.71 ฿23.84
204.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$0.49 ฿16.38
375.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.68 $10.68
$4.14 ฿140
157.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.63 $15.63
$17.52 ฿592
-10.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.61 ฿54.5
63.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.78 ฿94.0
56.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.87 ฿29.33
133.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.4 $60.4
$54.1 ฿1,827
11.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.11 $4.11
$1.16 ฿39.08
254.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 $1.95
$0.53 ฿17.82
267.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.44 $44.44
$2.42 ฿81.8
1736.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.45 ฿48.93
-30.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.8K $30.8K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
46.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
-3.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$266 $266
$62.2 ฿2,100
328.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.2 $53.2
$12.17 ฿411
337.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$82.5 $82.5
$20.12 ฿680
310.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.68 $40.68
$37.31 ฿1,260
9.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.98 $14.98
$6.49 ฿219
130.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,615 $1,615
$736 ฿24.9K
119.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K $23.8K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
61.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.2 $65.2
$53.4 ฿1,802
22.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 $51.5
$24.64 ฿832
108.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 $108
$91.5 ฿3,089
17.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 $124
$71.9 ฿2,429
71.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,572 $1,572
$482 ฿16.3K
225.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,455 $1,455
$309 ฿10.4K
370.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,917 $2,917
$1,006 ฿34.0K
189.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,995 $1,995
$633 ฿21.4K
214.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,512 $2,512
$2,363 ฿79.8K
6.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,039 $2,039
$1,589 ฿53.7K
28.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spring Valley, IL
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
5.57
20.11%

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

Last update for Spring Valley, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Spring Valley, IL
$1.5K
Chiang Mai
$309 78.8% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Spring Valley, IL
$433
Chiang Mai
$234 45.9% $199
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spring Valley, IL
$402
Chiang Mai
$94 76.5% $308
Eating Out
Spring Valley, IL
$337
Chiang Mai
$78 77% $260
Clothing & Footwear
Spring Valley, IL
$157
Chiang Mai
$109 30.6% $48
Getting Around
Spring Valley, IL
$82
Chiang Mai
$61 25.5% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Spring Valley, IL
$71
Chiang Mai
$50 28.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,572 in Spring Valley, IL 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Spring Valley, IL versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $433 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Spring Valley, IL
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
15:37 3:37 PM
03:37 3:37 AM
12 h ahead of Spring Valley, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,066
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 October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Spring Valley, IL Chiang Mai 13,280 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Spring Valley, IL
  • 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
Spring Valley, IL vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Spring Valley, IL or Chiang Mai?
Spring Valley, IL costs about 214% 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 Spring Valley, IL and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,405 per month in Spring Valley, IL 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, Spring Valley, IL or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,572 in Spring Valley, IL.
How do childcare costs compare in Spring Valley, IL and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $1,615 per month in Spring Valley, IL and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Spring Valley, IL or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 85% more in Spring Valley, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Spring Valley, IL or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,937 in Spring Valley, IL and $936 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 68% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Spring Valley, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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