Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulare, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,730 in Tulare, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Tulare, CA
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Tulare, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tulare, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,730

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,730 per month in Tulare, CA vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tulare, CA $2,730
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $4,025 per month in Tulare, CA vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tulare, CA $4,025
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,320 per month in Tulare, CA vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tulare, CA $5,320
Chiang Mai $1,999

Tulare, CA costs about 192% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tulare, CA sits 102% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.88 $24.88

$2.13 ฿71.2

1068.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$18.62 ฿622

485.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.81 $14.81

$5.60 ฿187

164.46%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$1.66 ฿55.5

240.96%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$0.65 ฿21.59

350.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.30 ฿10.18

723.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 $9.06

$2.32 ฿77.5

290.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.67 ฿122

121.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.02 ฿67.3

-38.12%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.41 ฿47.00

209.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.39 ฿46.46

235.25%

Eggs

$5.28 $5.28

$2.37 ฿79.0

122.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.57 $24.57

$16.52 ฿551

48.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$2.67 ฿89.1

333.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$9.02 ฿301

48.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.40 ฿80.1

135.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.04 ฿34.76

194.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.66 ฿55.4

179.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$1.56 ฿52.0

280.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.24 ฿41.31

165.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$1.09 ฿36.27

254.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.76 ฿25.43

292.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$0.51 ฿17.16

411.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.97 $11.97

$4.12 ฿138

190.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 $12.85

$17.93 ฿598

-28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.62 ฿54.2

32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.82 ฿94.2

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.93 ฿31.19

112.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 $55.3

$52.9 ฿1,766

4.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.18 ฿39.28

246.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$0.17 ฿5.72

929.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.05 $26.05

$1.81 ฿60.5

1339.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.47 ฿49.16

8.16%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

30.91%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$26.5K ฿885.1K

3.28%

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

$140 $140

$62.6 ฿2,088

124.04%

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

$38.84 $38.84

$11.60 ฿387

234.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 $63.9

$20.30 ฿678

214.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 $36.83

$37.88 ฿1,264

-2.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿123

Cinema Ticket

$17.87 $17.87

$6.51 ฿217

174.50%

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

$2,177 $2,177

$727 ฿24.3K

199.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$16.6K ฿553.2K

20.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 $51.4

$53.5 ฿1,787

-4.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.92 $39.92

$24.80 ฿828

60.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 $75.7

$90.4 ฿3,017

-16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.0 $61.0

$72.0 ฿2,402

-15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 $1,429

$481 ฿16.1K

196.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$310 ฿10.3K

344.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,667 $2,667

$1,058 ฿35.3K

151.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 $2,099

$659 ฿22.0K

218.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,646 $2,646

$2,418 ฿80.7K

9.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,658 $2,658

$1,609 ฿53.7K

65.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 $4,236

$595 ฿19.9K

612.12%

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 Tulare, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulare, CA

$1.4K 50.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 77.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Tulare, CA

$465 17%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 49.1% $228

Eating Out

Tulare, CA

$394 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 80.6% $318

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulare, CA

$243 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 61.1% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Tulare, CA

$103 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 5.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Tulare, CA

$76 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 22.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tulare, CA

$73 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 29.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,429 in Tulare, CA versus $481 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 in Tulare, CA are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Tulare, CA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $465 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tulare, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

20:23 8:23 PM

15 h ahead of Tulare, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,278

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 3 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 November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tulare, CA Chiang Mai 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tulare, 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

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

Tulare, CA costs about 192% 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 $4,095 per month in Tulare, CA and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,429 in Tulare, CA.

Kindergarten costs $2,177 per month in Tulare, CA and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Tulare, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,730 in Tulare, CA and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tulare, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.