Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tracy, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,327 in Tracy, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tracy, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,327
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,327 per month in Tracy, CA vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Tracy, CA $2,327
  • Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Tracy, CA vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Tracy, CA $2,585
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,843 per month in Tracy, CA vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Tracy, CA $2,843
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Tracy, CA costs about 148% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tracy, CA sits 72% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.75 $19.75
$2.26 ฿75.4
773.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.9 $50.9
$19.18 ฿641
165.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.10 $10.10
$5.59 ฿187
80.68%
Cappuccino
$4.52 $4.52
$1.72 ฿57.6
162.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 $3.12
$0.64 ฿21.54
387.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$0.33 ฿11.18
448.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.10 $6.10
$2.36 ฿78.7
158.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 $7.44
$3.90 ฿130
90.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$2.05 ฿68.6
-34.63%
White Bread (500g)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.40 ฿46.70
199.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.50 $5.50
$1.28 ฿42.89
329.69%
Eggs
$3.42 $3.42
$2.25 ฿75.3
52.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.30 $16.30
$16.94 ฿566
-3.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.11 $11.11
$2.74 ฿91.6
305.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.47 $15.47
$9.36 ฿313
65.28%
Apples (1kg)
$4.45 $4.45
$2.40 ฿80.3
85.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.01 ฿33.92
123.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$1.61 ฿53.9
170.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$1.52 ฿50.7
186.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.28 ฿42.90
72.66%
Onion (1kg)
$3.23 $3.23
$1.11 ฿37.22
190.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.72 ฿24.09
183.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$0.52 ฿17.54
286.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.91 $11.91
$4.33 ฿145
175.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.06 $13.06
$17.73 ฿593
-26.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.63 ฿54.4
28.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.85 ฿95.3
-3.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.85 ฿28.31
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.6 $64.6
$53.9 ฿1,801
19.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.17 ฿39.18
108.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 $1.85
$0.57 ฿19.00
224.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.48 $29.48
$2.37 ฿79.2
1143.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.45 ฿48.32
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K $37.3K
$20.5K ฿684.3K
82.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$26.5K ฿886.1K
-2.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$62.3 ฿2,083
186.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.6 $50.6
$12.27 ฿410
311.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 $75.7
$19.97 ฿668
279.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$37.91 ฿1,267
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.76 ฿126
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$6.71 ฿224
122.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,471 $2,471
$797 ฿26.6K
210.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.4K $35.4K
$14.8K ฿495.7K
138.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.4 $71.4
$53.3 ฿1,780
34.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.0 $72.0
$25.05 ฿837
187.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.8 $95.8
$91.6 ฿3,062
4.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$233 $233
$73.5 ฿2,455
217.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,775 $1,775
$464 ฿15.5K
282.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$991 $991
$305 ฿10.2K
225.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$915 ฿30.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$552 ฿18.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,758 $3,758
$1,912 ฿63.9K
96.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,438 ฿48.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tracy, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,739 $5,739
$595 ฿19.9K
864.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
5.57
18.85%

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

Last update for Tracy, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
$991
Chiang Mai
$305 69.3% $687
Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
$404
Chiang Mai
$238 41.1% $166
Eating Out
Tracy, CA
$308
Chiang Mai
$79 74.3% $229
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
$305
Chiang Mai
$95 69% $211
Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
$212
Chiang Mai
$110 48.4% $103
Getting Around
Tracy, CA
$76 *
Chiang Mai
$61 19.6% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
$30 *
Chiang Mai
$51 71.9% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Tracy, 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 864% higher in Tracy, 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 $51.0 in Tracy, CA versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tracy, CA
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:15 5:15 PM
07:15 7:15 AM
14 h ahead of Tracy, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
98,337
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 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tracy, CA Chiang Mai 12,440 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tracy, 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
Tracy, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tracy, CA or Chiang Mai?
Tracy, CA costs about 148% 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 Tracy, CA and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,490 per month in Tracy, CA and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Tracy, CA or Chiang Mai?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Tracy, CA and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $2,471 per month in Tracy, CA and $797 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 Tracy, CA or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 70% more in Tracy, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Tracy, CA or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Tracy, CA at $2,327. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tracy, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Tracy, CA or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,327 in Tracy, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Tracy, CA compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Tracy, CA or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tracy, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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