Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Summit, NJ and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $3,842 in Summit, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $35,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

189

Cost of Living Index in Summit, NJ
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Summit, NJ Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Summit, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,842

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,842 per month in Summit, NJ vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Summit, NJ $3,842
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $5,955 per month in Summit, NJ vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Summit, NJ $5,955
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $8,069 per month in Summit, NJ vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Summit, NJ $8,069
Chiang Mai $1,864

Summit, NJ costs about 324% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Summit, NJ sits 187% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.62 $24.62

$2.13 ฿71.6

1055.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$19.40 ฿652

417.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 $11.09

$5.47 ฿184

102.74%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$1.68 ฿56.6

222.02%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$0.66 ฿22.18

239.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.34 ฿11.56

332.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$2.42 ฿81.3

233.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.73 ฿125

109.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.06 ฿69.2

-38.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.46 ฿48.97

192.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$1.35 ฿45.26

350.37%

Eggs

$5.90 $5.90

$2.27 ฿76.3

159.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 $13.92

$16.31 ฿548

-14.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 $10.46

$2.70 ฿90.7

287.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$9.20 ฿309

91.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.39 ฿80.5

155.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.04 ฿34.79

64.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.60 ฿53.9

160.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$1.44 ฿48.55

261.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.30 ฿43.76

136.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.11 ฿37.44

229.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$0.70 ฿23.65

338.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.51 ฿17.06

472.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 $11.28

$4.13 ฿139

173.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.83 $19.83

$17.78 ฿598

11.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.63 ฿54.9

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.87 ฿96.4

84.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,786

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.22 ฿40.97

148.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.56 ฿18.89

273.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.22 $24.22

$2.31 ฿77.8

948.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 ฿50.4

-25.33%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$20.9K ฿701.0K

68.56%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.7K ฿898.5K

-5.85%

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

$213 $213

$61.3 ฿2,059

248.47%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$12.50 ฿420

389.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$20.36 ฿684

149.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.2 $80.2

$37.94 ฿1,275

111.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$6.60 ฿222

123.48%

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

$2,015 $2,015

$774 ฿26.0K

160.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$14.4K ฿485.1K

12.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.66 $41.66

$54.8 ฿1,842

-23.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$25.26 ฿849

128.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 $74.8

$90.6 ฿3,044

-17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$73.3 ฿2,462

62.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,697 $2,697

$459 ฿15.4K

487.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 $2,457

$294 ฿9,874

736.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,556 $5,556

$919 ฿30.9K

504.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,055 $5,055

$552 ฿18.5K

816.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.57

21.18%

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

Last update for Summit, NJ: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Summit, NJ

$2.5K 63.7%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 88% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Summit, NJ

$457 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 48.3% $221

Eating Out

Summit, NJ

$366 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 78.9% $289

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Summit, NJ

$325 8.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 71.1% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Summit, NJ

$132 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 16.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Summit, NJ

$110 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 53.4% $59

Getting Around

Summit, NJ

$13 * 0.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 349% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,697 in Summit, NJ versus $459 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 $100 in Summit, NJ versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $236 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Summit, NJ

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

16:05 4:05 PM

11 h ahead of Summit, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,161

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 33.61 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Summit, NJ Chiang Mai 13,360 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Summit, NJ
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

Summit, NJ vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Summit, NJ costs about 324% 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 $5,762 per month in Summit, NJ and $1,359 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Summit, NJ and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Summit, NJ, 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 $906, than in Summit, NJ at $3,842. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Summit, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $3,842 in Summit, NJ. 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, Summit, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.