Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,901 in Topeka, KS, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,901

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,901 per month in Topeka, KS vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Topeka, KS $1,901
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Topeka, KS vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Topeka, KS $2,863
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,825 per month in Topeka, KS vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Topeka, KS $3,825
Chiang Mai $1,903

Topeka, KS costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Topeka, KS sits 40% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.27 $13.27

$2.29 ฿76.5

479.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 $51.2

$19.64 ฿656

160.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$5.61 ฿188

78.79%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$1.66 ฿55.6

104.82%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$0.70 ฿23.40

235.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.31 ฿10.24

480.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.41 ฿80.4

85.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$3.71 ฿124

137.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.95 ฿65.3

-55.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.41 ฿47.03

91.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.31 ฿43.62

124.43%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.18 ฿72.9

87.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$16.65 ฿556

-46.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$2.76 ฿92.2

199.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$9.11 ฿304

65.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.39 ฿80.0

105.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.03 ฿34.26

54.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.63 ฿54.4

214.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.50 ฿50.0

175.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.29 ฿43.13

169.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.11 ฿37.03

135.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.72 ฿24.08

156.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.53 ฿17.59

50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$4.31 ฿144

112.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$17.95 ฿600

-32.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.58 ฿52.9

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.84 ฿95.0

-41.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 $3.91

$0.86 ฿28.86

354.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

$53.3 ฿1,780

-7.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.21 ฿40.29

123.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.57 ฿18.99

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.60 $33.60

$2.35 ฿78.6

1329.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.44 ฿47.96

-38.89%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

27.08%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-1.80%

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

$145 $145

$62.3 ฿2,083

133.37%

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

$47.02 $47.02

$12.11 ฿405

288.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 $65.0

$19.94 ฿666

225.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.11 $44.11

$37.07 ฿1,239

18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 $15.09

$3.78 ฿126

299.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 $13.38

$6.50 ฿217

105.85%

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

$434 $434

$793 ฿26.5K

-45.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.71 $38.71

$53.7 ฿1,796

-27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.08 $28.08

$24.62 ฿823

14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$90.9 ฿3,036

-1.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 $80.4

$71.1 ฿2,378

13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 $792

$455 ฿15.2K

73.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 $835

$298 ฿9,954

180.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$908 ฿30.4K

41.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

$554 ฿18.5K

170.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,443 $1,443

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-25.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,334 $1,334

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-7.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,708 $3,708

$591 ฿19.7K

527.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.57

12.03%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$835 43.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 64.3% $537

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$322 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 26.8% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 63.3% $163

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 66.3% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 1.4% $1.5

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$75 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 19.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$71 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 29.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $792 in Topeka, KS versus $455 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 528% higher in Topeka, KS, 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 $51.0 in Topeka, KS versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

17:51 5:51 PM

12 h ahead of Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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

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Between locations

Topeka, KS Chiang Mai 13,410 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
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

Topeka, KS vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Topeka, KS costs about 105% 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 $2,851 per month in Topeka, KS and $1,388 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.

Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Topeka, KS and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Topeka, KS, 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 $925, than in Topeka, KS at $1,901. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Topeka, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,901 in Topeka, KS. 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, Topeka, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.