Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yakima, WA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,253 in Yakima, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Yakima, WA
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Yakima, WA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Yakima, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,253 per month in Yakima, WA vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yakima, WA $2,253
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Yakima, WA vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yakima, WA $3,276
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,299 per month in Yakima, WA vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yakima, WA $4,299
Chiang Mai $1,903

Yakima, WA costs about 143% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Yakima, WA sits 66% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.57 $15.57

$2.29 ฿77.2

579.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 $64.1

$19.64 ฿663

226.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$5.61 ฿189

102.85%

Cappuccino

$4.54 $4.54

$1.66 ฿56.1

173.49%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$0.70 ฿23.62

207.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.31 ฿10.33

748.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.41 ฿81.2

56.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.71 ฿125

12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.95 ฿65.9

-49.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.41 ฿47.48

176.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.31 ฿44.04

174.81%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$2.18 ฿73.6

47.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$16.65 ฿562

-29.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.76 ฿93.1

221.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$9.11 ฿307

62.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.39 ฿80.7

45.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.03 ฿34.59

53.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.63 ฿54.9

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.50 ฿50.5

128.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.29 ฿43.54

76.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.11 ฿37.38

94.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.72 ฿24.31

184.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.53 ฿17.76

218.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.34 $12.34

$4.31 ฿145

186.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 $14.06

$17.95 ฿605

-21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.58 ฿53.4

10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.84 ฿95.9

70.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 $5.08

$0.86 ฿29.14

490.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,798

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.21 ฿40.67

116.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.57 ฿19.17

61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$2.35 ฿79.4

1180.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.44 ฿48.42

-11.81%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$20.7K ฿699.4K

36.32%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.8K ฿904.2K

1.53%

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

$219 $219

$62.3 ฿2,103

250.87%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$12.11 ฿409

346.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$19.94 ฿673

246.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 $51.4

$37.07 ฿1,251

38.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 $14.10

$6.50 ฿219

116.92%

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

$1,720 $1,720

$793 ฿26.7K

116.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,241 $7,241

$14.8K ฿499.6K

-51.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$53.7 ฿1,813

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$24.62 ฿831

77.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$90.9 ฿3,065

-10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$71.1 ฿2,400

54.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 $1,044

$455 ฿15.4K

129.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 $1,063

$298 ฿10.0K

256.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$908 ฿30.6K

86.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 $1,749

$554 ฿18.7K

215.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,662 $2,662

$1,931 ฿65.1K

37.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,471 $2,471

$1,445 ฿48.7K

71.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,530 $3,530

$591 ฿19.9K

497.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

5.57

15.62%

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

Last update for Yakima, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yakima, WA

$1.1K 47.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 72% $765

Groceries & Markets

Yakima, WA

$348 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 32.2% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yakima, WA

$342 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 72.4% $248

Eating Out

Yakima, WA

$260 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 69.7% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Yakima, WA

$133 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 19% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Yakima, WA

$80 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 37.1% $30

Getting Around

Yakima, WA

$28 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 121% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Yakima, WA 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.

Salaries in Yakima, WA are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Yakima, WA versus $20 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Yakima, WA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

06:09 6:09 AM

14 h ahead of Yakima, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

96,968

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Yakima, WA Chiang Mai 11,740 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Yakima, WA
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

Yakima, WA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yakima, WA costs about 143% 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 $3,379 per month in Yakima, WA 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $455 there versus $1,044 in Yakima, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Yakima, WA and $20 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Yakima, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,253 in Yakima, WA and $925 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yakima, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.