Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thousand Oaks, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent and utilities included – about $34,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
Learn more

Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,797

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,797 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $3,797
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $5,248 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $5,248
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $6,699 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $6,699
Chiang Mai $1,914

Thousand Oaks, CA costs about 305% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Thousand Oaks, CA sits 181% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$2.26 ฿75.4

1010.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100.0 $100.0

$19.18 ฿641

421.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 $8.60

$5.59 ฿187

53.85%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.72 ฿57.6

222.67%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$0.64 ฿21.54

340.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.33 ฿11.18

490.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$2.36 ฿78.7

247.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.72 $9.72

$3.90 ฿130

149.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.05 ฿68.6

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.40 ฿46.70

181.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.28 ฿42.89

174.22%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$2.25 ฿75.3

124.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$16.94 ฿566

-25.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.24 $20.24

$2.74 ฿91.6

638.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.88 $21.88

$9.36 ฿313

133.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.40 ฿80.3

124.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.01 ฿33.92

78.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.61 ฿53.9

193.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$1.52 ฿50.7

289.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.28 ฿42.90

189.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.11 ฿37.22

156.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.72 ฿24.09

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.52 ฿17.54

326.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$4.33 ฿145

134.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$17.73 ฿593

-16.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.63 ฿54.4

3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.85 ฿95.3

-45.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.17 ฿39.18

274.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.57 ฿19.00

217.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.85 $35.85

$2.37 ฿79.2

1412.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.45 ฿48.32

2.07%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

81.15%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-1.50%

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

$163 $163

$62.3 ฿2,083

160.89%

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

$48.06 $48.06

$12.27 ฿410

291.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$19.97 ฿668

247.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 $66.9

$37.91 ฿1,267

76.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 $22.43

$3.76 ฿126

496.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 $11.94

$6.71 ฿224

77.94%

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

$1,781 $1,781

$797 ฿26.6K

123.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.1K $42.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

183.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$53.3 ฿1,780

-5.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 $30.09

$25.05 ฿837

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$91.6 ฿3,062

-13.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$73.5 ฿2,455

59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 $2,607

$464 ฿15.5K

461.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 $2,448

$305 ฿10.2K

703.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,705 $3,705

$915 ฿30.6K

304.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,513 $3,513

$552 ฿18.5K

535.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,959 $5,959

$1,912 ฿63.9K

211.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,896 $5,896

$1,438 ฿48.1K

309.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,918 $5,918

$595 ฿19.9K

894.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.57

19.21%

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

Last update for Thousand Oaks, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.4K 64.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 87.6% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Thousand Oaks, CA

$467 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 49% $229

Eating Out

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 78.8% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thousand Oaks, CA

$280 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 66.2% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 12.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Thousand Oaks, CA

$91 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 43.5% $39

Getting Around

Thousand Oaks, CA

$13 * 0.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 357% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $464 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 run about 894% higher in Thousand Oaks, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

07:16 7:16 AM

14 h ahead of Thousand Oaks, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,207

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thousand Oaks, CA Chiang Mai 12,890 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Thousand Oaks, CA
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

Thousand Oaks, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thousand Oaks, CA costs about 305% 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 $5,695 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA and $1,408 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 Thousand Oaks, CA 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 96% more in Thousand Oaks, CA, 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 $938, than in Thousand Oaks, CA at $3,797. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thousand Oaks, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA. 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, Thousand Oaks, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.