Moving to Illinois from Thailand
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Thailand to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Thailand to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 2.2 times more expensive than Thailand overall. A THB2,500,000 salary in Thailand would need to be roughly $167,000 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Chicago averages 59°F vs 91°F in Bangkok, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Illinois cheaper than Thailand?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.4 times more
Groceries
pay 66.1% more
Transportation
pay 20.8% more
Housing
pay 3.6 times more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 98.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
THB2,500,000 → $167,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Illinois cost about 56% more than cities in Thailand.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Thailand to Illinois, based on official data.
people moved from Thailand to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
32.256,642
Thailand
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Thailand to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Thailand performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Thailand performs better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Thailand generally does better on employment & economy, though Illinois leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Illinois performs significantly better than Thailand across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs Thailand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bangkok | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 93°/78°F (34°/26°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/73°F (32°/23°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bangkok | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/70°F (32.0°/21.0°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.3°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 93°/77°F (33.7°/24.9°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 95°/79°F (34.9°/26.1°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 93°/78°F (34.0°/25.6°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.4°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.0°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.5°/24.9°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 90°/76°F (32.3°/24.6°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.3°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.1°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 88°/69°F (31.3°/20.8°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Data:
Thai Meteorological Department,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Thailand to Illinois?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Thailand and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Thailand passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Thailand
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Thailand?
No — Illinois is on average about 125% more expensive than Thailand. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $41,750 in Illinois on a THB2,500,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Thailand?
Thailand performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Thailand?
The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 91°F in Bangkok. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Bangkok gets 59.0 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Thailand, the official language is Thai.
