Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Walnut, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,568 in Walnut, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

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

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Walnut, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,568

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,568 per month in Walnut, CA vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Walnut, CA $2,568
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Walnut, CA vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Walnut, CA $3,821
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $5,075 per month in Walnut, CA vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Walnut, CA $5,075
Chiang Mai $1,903

Walnut, CA costs about 178% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Walnut, CA sits 90% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$2.29 ฿76.5

769.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$19.64 ฿656

312.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$5.61 ฿188

169.88%

Cappuccino

$6.25 $6.25

$1.66 ฿55.6

276.51%

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

$3.44 $3.44

$0.70 ฿23.40

391.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.31 ฿10.24

664.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 $7.30

$2.41 ฿80.4

202.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 $9.27

$3.71 ฿124

149.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.95 ฿65.3

-44.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.41 ฿47.03

182.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.31 ฿43.62

269.47%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$2.18 ฿72.9

118.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$16.65 ฿556

-22.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.85 $19.85

$2.76 ฿92.2

619.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$9.11 ฿304

72.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.39 ฿80.0

111.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.03 ฿34.26

62.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$1.63 ฿54.4

242.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.50 ฿50.0

291.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.29 ฿43.13

189.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.11 ฿37.03

107.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.72 ฿24.08

173.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.53 ฿17.59

250.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$4.31 ฿144

169.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$17.95 ฿600

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.58 ฿52.9

26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.84 ฿95.0

46.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.86 ฿28.86

130.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 $61.2

$53.3 ฿1,780

14.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 $6.29

$1.21 ฿40.29

419.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.57 ฿18.99

196.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.00 $32.00

$2.35 ฿78.6

1261.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.44 ฿47.96

8.33%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

37.98%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

0.08%

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

$165 $165

$62.3 ฿2,083

165.11%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$12.11 ฿405

447.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 $58.2

$19.94 ฿666

192.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.06 $42.06

$37.07 ฿1,239

13.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 $15.15

$6.50 ฿217

133.08%

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

$1,872 $1,872

$793 ฿26.5K

136.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K $20.4K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

37.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$53.7 ฿1,796

6.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.76 $39.76

$24.62 ฿823

61.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 $93.4

$90.9 ฿3,036

2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$71.1 ฿2,378

104.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$455 ฿15.2K

238.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$298 ฿9,954

288.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 $2,747

$908 ฿30.4K

202.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$554 ฿18.5K

242.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,014 $3,014

$1,931 ฿64.5K

56.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$1,445 ฿48.3K

67.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.57

14.72%

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

Last update for Walnut, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Walnut, CA

$1.2K 45.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 74.3% $859

Groceries & Markets

Walnut, CA

$456 17.8%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 48.4% $221

Eating Out

Walnut, CA

$358 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 78% $279

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Walnut, CA

$290 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 67.4% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Walnut, CA

$151 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 28.5% $43

Getting Around

Walnut, CA

$84 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 27.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Walnut, CA

$72 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,540 in Walnut, CA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Walnut, CA versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Walnut, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

23:00 11:00 PM

14 h ahead of Walnut, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,294

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Walnut, CA Chiang Mai 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Walnut, 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

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

Walnut, CA costs about 178% 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 $3,852 per month in Walnut, CA 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 $1,872 per month in Walnut, CA 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 94% more in Walnut, 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 $925, than in Walnut, CA at $2,568. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Walnut, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,568 in Walnut, 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, Walnut, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.