Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,876 in Wilmington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,876 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,876
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,129
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,382 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,382
Chiang Mai $1,979

Wilmington, NC costs about 207% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Wilmington, NC sits 111% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$2.24 ฿75.7

573.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$19.00 ฿642

321.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$5.55 ฿188

94.59%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.67 ฿56.6

232.34%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$0.64 ฿21.56

295.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.31 ฿10.32

661.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.36 ฿79.6

117.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.66 ฿124

89.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.95 ฿65.8

-49.23%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.44 ฿48.51

178.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$1.33 ฿45.07

339.10%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$2.28 ฿77.1

134.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$16.45 ฿556

-30.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$2.78 ฿94.0

418.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.47 $25.47

$9.31 ฿314

173.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 $6.38

$2.35 ฿79.5

171.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.97 ฿32.82

82.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$1.60 ฿53.9

331.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$1.50 ฿50.7

312.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.28 ฿43.15

219.53%

Onion (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$1.10 ฿37.22

440.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.71 ฿23.84

238.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.49 ฿16.38

540.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$4.14 ฿140

108.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 $14.70

$17.52 ฿592

-16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.61 ฿54.5

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 $6.00

$2.78 ฿94.0

115.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.87 ฿29.33

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.4 $79.4

$54.1 ฿1,827

46.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 $7.03

$1.16 ฿39.08

506.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.53 ฿17.82

256.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.45 ฿48.93

-28.97%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

28.65%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-2.40%

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

$286 $286

$62.2 ฿2,100

360.70%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$12.17 ฿411

358.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$20.12 ฿680

278.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 $56.1

$37.31 ฿1,260

50.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.77 ฿127

8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$6.49 ฿219

129.43%

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

$1,339 $1,339

$736 ฿24.9K

81.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 $70.9

$53.4 ฿1,802

32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.64 ฿832

70.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$91.5 ฿3,089

8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$71.9 ฿2,429

-4.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 $1,640

$482 ฿16.3K

240.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$309 ฿10.4K

340.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 $2,819

$1,006 ฿34.0K

180.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$633 ฿21.4K

234.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,291 $3,291

$2,363 ฿79.8K

39.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,589 ฿53.7K

59.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$590 ฿19.9K

567.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, NC

$1.4K 47.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 77.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$501 17.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 53.3% $267

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$418 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 77.4% $324

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$279 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.2% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$127 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 14.1% $18

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$104 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 41% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$86 3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 41.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in Wilmington, NC 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.

Salaries in Wilmington, NC are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Wilmington, NC versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $501 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

03:01 3:01 AM

11 h ahead of Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 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).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wilmington, NC Chiang Mai 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, NC
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

Wilmington, NC vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wilmington, NC costs about 207% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,313 per month in Wilmington, NC 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 $482 there versus $1,640 in Wilmington, NC.

Kindergarten costs $1,339 per month in Wilmington, NC and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 114% more in Wilmington, NC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,876 in Wilmington, NC and $936 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, Wilmington, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.