Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ukiah, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,567 in Ukiah, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ukiah, CA, United States
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ukiah, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,567
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,567 per month in Ukiah, CA vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ukiah, CA $2,567
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,809 per month in Ukiah, CA vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ukiah, CA $3,809
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,051 per month in Ukiah, CA vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ukiah, CA $5,051
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Ukiah, CA costs about 174% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ukiah, CA sits 89% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.89 $20.89
$2.24 ฿75.7
832.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 $54.7
$19.00 ฿642
187.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.12 $11.12
$5.55 ฿188
100.36%
Cappuccino
$5.51 $5.51
$1.67 ฿56.6
229.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$0.64 ฿21.56
357.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 $2.32
$0.31 ฿10.32
648.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.94 $4.94
$2.36 ฿79.6
109.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.09 $6.09
$3.66 ฿124
66.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 $1.19
$1.95 ฿65.8
-38.97%
White Bread (500g)
$4.06 $4.06
$1.44 ฿48.51
181.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.01 $5.01
$1.33 ฿45.07
276.69%
Eggs
$6.13 $6.13
$2.28 ฿77.1
168.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.98 $11.98
$16.45 ฿556
-27.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 $7.86
$2.78 ฿94.0
182.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.05 $18.05
$9.31 ฿314
93.88%
Apples (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$2.35 ฿79.5
85.96%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 $2.18
$0.97 ฿32.82
124.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$8.38 $8.38
$1.60 ฿53.9
423.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.65 $6.65
$1.50 ฿50.7
343.33%
Potato (1kg)
$5.19 $5.19
$1.28 ฿43.15
305.47%
Onion (1kg)
$2.98 $2.98
$1.10 ฿37.22
170.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 $2.53
$0.71 ฿23.84
256.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$0.49 ฿16.38
526.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.71 $11.71
$4.14 ฿140
182.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.83 $19.83
$17.52 ฿592
13.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.61 ฿54.5
4.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 $3.65
$2.78 ฿94.0
31.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.87 ฿29.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 $3.22
$1.16 ฿39.08
177.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.33 $2.33
$0.53 ฿17.82
339.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.03 $40.03
$2.42 ฿81.8
1554.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.45 ฿48.93
6.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K $27.8K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
32.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K $26.4K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
-1.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 $191
$62.2 ฿2,100
207.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.1 $63.1
$12.17 ฿411
418.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.1 $67.1
$20.12 ฿680
233.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$106 $106
$37.31 ฿1,260
184.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.07 $12.07
$6.49 ฿219
85.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,483 $1,483
$736 ฿24.9K
101.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$37.1K $37.1K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
151.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.85 $36.85
$53.4 ฿1,802
-30.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$14.93 $14.93
$24.64 ฿832
-39.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.5 $85.5
$91.5 ฿3,089
-6.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 $141
$71.9 ฿2,429
95.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,491 $1,491
$482 ฿16.3K
209.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,199 $1,199
$309 ฿10.4K
288.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,326 $2,326
$1,006 ฿34.0K
131.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,134 $2,134
$633 ฿21.4K
236.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,095 $4,095
$2,363 ฿79.8K
73.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,040 $4,040
$1,589 ฿53.7K
154.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ukiah, CA
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.77
5.57
21.54%

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

Last update for Ukiah, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ukiah, CA
$1.2K
Chiang Mai
$309 74.2% $890
Groceries & Markets
Ukiah, CA
$452
Chiang Mai
$234 48.1% $218
Eating Out
Ukiah, CA
$325
Chiang Mai
$78 76.1% $247
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ukiah, CA
$321
Chiang Mai
$94 70.6% $227
Sport & Entertainment
Ukiah, CA
$130
Chiang Mai
$50 61.4% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Ukiah, CA
$125
Chiang Mai
$109 13.2% $17
Getting Around
Ukiah, CA
$15 *
Chiang Mai
$61 313% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,491 in Ukiah, CA versus $482 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 $55 in Ukiah, CA versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $452 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Ukiah, CA
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
14:21 2:21 PM
04:21 4:21 AM
14 h ahead of Ukiah, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,036
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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ukiah, CA Chiang Mai 12,220 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ukiah, 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
Ukiah, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ukiah, CA or Chiang Mai?
Ukiah, CA costs about 174% 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 Ukiah, CA and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,851 per month in Ukiah, CA and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ukiah, CA or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,491 in Ukiah, CA.
How do dining costs compare in Ukiah, CA and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Ukiah, CA and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ukiah, CA or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 93% more in Ukiah, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Ukiah, CA or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,567 in Ukiah, CA and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.

Ukiah, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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