Cost of Living Comparison Between Aberdeen and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Aberdeen and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,322 per month in Aberdeen vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,718 per month in Aberdeen vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,114 per month in Aberdeen vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Aberdeen costs about 145% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Aberdeen sits 69% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.56 £15.25

$2.08 ฿69.2

888.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 £72.0

$19.64 ฿651

394.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 £8.19

$5.65 ฿188

95.40%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.55

$1.81 ฿59.9

164.09%

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

$2.72 £2.02

$0.71 ฿23.66

283.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$0.32 ฿10.48

512.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 £4.95

$2.24 ฿74.2

198.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.14

$3.63 ฿121

90.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.96 ฿65.0

-19.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.50 ฿49.83

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.34 ฿44.32

46.27%

Eggs

$4.66 £3.46

$2.26 ฿75.1

106.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 £6.40

$16.26 ฿539

-46.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 £9.50

$2.95 ฿98.0

334.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 £12.65

$9.94 ฿330

71.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 £2.17

$2.57 ฿85.3

13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.06 ฿35.04

34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$1.61 ฿53.5

74.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 £2.91

$1.52 ฿50.4

158.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.27 ฿42.14

38.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.07 ฿35.37

43.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$0.72 ฿23.89

72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.51 ฿16.87

235.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.03 £15.59

$4.19 ฿139

401.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 £8.40

$17.87 ฿593

-36.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 £2.04

$1.69 ฿56.2

62.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.34

$2.84 ฿94.1

10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 £2.14

$0.93 ฿30.70

210.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 £91.9

$53.9 ฿1,787

130.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 £2.98

$1.23 ฿40.95

226.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 £1.80

$0.58 ฿19.13

317.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.68 £18.30

$2.42 ฿80.4

919.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.41 ฿46.84

46.10%

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

$39.6K £29.4K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

84.75%

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

$41.9K £31.1K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

53.37%

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

$415 £308

$63.7 ฿2,112

551.83%

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

$29.61 £21.96

$12.85 ฿426

130.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 £32.46

$20.22 ฿671

116.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 £43.31

$38.74 ฿1,285

50.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.48 £16.67

$3.97 ฿132

466.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 £8.78

$6.74 ฿223

75.67%

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

$1,796 £1,332

$778 ฿25.8K

130.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.6K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

62.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 £73.0

$54.3 ฿1,801

81.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 £37.33

$25.45 ฿844

97.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.9

$94.3 ฿3,129

12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.5

$73.4 ฿2,436

60.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 £643

$490 ฿16.2K

77.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 £592

$289 ฿9,596

175.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 £1,170

$894 ฿29.6K

76.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 £1,293

$517 ฿17.1K

237.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 £1,757

$1,955 ฿64.9K

21.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,483 £2,584

$1,477 ฿49.0K

135.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,612 £2,679

$602 ฿20.0K

499.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.57

-8.26%

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

Last update for Aberdeen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $867 in Aberdeen versus $490 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 run about 500% higher in Aberdeen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Aberdeen versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $240 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Aberdeen vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aberdeen costs about 145% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,483 per month in Aberdeen and $1,421 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,322 in Aberdeen and $947 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 130% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Aberdeen at $2,322. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aberdeen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $2,322 in Aberdeen. 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, Aberdeen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.