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 $2,289 per month in Aberdeen vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,511 per month in Aberdeen vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,732 per month in Aberdeen vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Aberdeen costs about 166% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Aberdeen sits 71% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.33 £15.86

$1.96 ฿65.7

988.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 £60.0

$18.35 ฿616

340.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 £7.57

$7.48 ฿251

36.10%

Cappuccino

$4.54 £3.37

$2.02 ฿67.7

124.75%

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

$2.03 £1.51

$0.85 ฿28.45

138.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.36 ฿11.94

338.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 £4.45

$2.14 ฿71.7

179.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.13

$3.59 ฿121

92.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.65 ฿55.4

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.57 ฿52.6

5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.19 ฿39.95

57.14%

Eggs

$4.16 £3.09

$1.94 ฿65.0

114.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 £6.66

$16.19 ฿544

-44.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 £8.76

$2.99 ฿100

294.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 £10.41

$10.94 ฿367

27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.71 ฿91.0

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.17 ฿39.18

41.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.69 ฿56.6

63.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 £3.12

$1.60 ฿53.9

162.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 £0.86

$1.38 ฿46.45

-15.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.20 ฿40.38

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$0.67 ฿22.46

73.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$0.56 ฿18.70

142.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 £14.00

$4.64 ฿156

306.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 £8.32

$17.62 ฿591

-36.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 £1.66

$1.86 ฿62.4

19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 £1.70

$3.30 ฿111

-30.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.53 £4.11

$0.88 ฿29.63

528.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 £81.6

$19.34 ฿649

467.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 £3.44

$1.36 ฿45.82

240.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.34 ฿44.90

29.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.95 £25.98

$8.21 ฿276

325.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.22 ฿41.11

54.10%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

78.50%

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

$41.6K £31.0K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

84.80%

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

$411 £305

$70.7 ฿2,372

481.18%

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

$24.05 £17.88

$14.04 ฿471

71.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.24 £34.38

$17.49 ฿587

164.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 £46.69

$42.15 ฿1,415

49.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 £7.75

$6.88 ฿231

51.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 £6.55

$5.92 ฿199

48.82%

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

$1,841 £1,369

$309 ฿10.4K

496.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K £11.6K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

4.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 £62.9

$55.8 ฿1,872

51.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.96 £30.45

$26.11 ฿877

56.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 £70.0

$83.0 ฿2,787

13.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.9

$70.5 ฿2,365

67.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 £638

$432 ฿14.5K

98.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 £581

$239 ฿8,020

226.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 £1,199

$822 ฿27.6K

96.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 £1,197

$512 ฿17.2K

214.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 £1,683

$1,915 ฿64.3K

18.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,509 £2,609

$1,467 ฿49.3K

139.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,518 £2,615

$579 ฿19.4K

507.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

24.00%

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

Last update for Aberdeen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $859 in Aberdeen versus $432 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 507% 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 $81.0 in Aberdeen versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $309 vs $243 – 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 166% 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 $3,433 per month in Aberdeen and $1,292 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 $2,289 in Aberdeen and $861 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 468% 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 $861, than in Aberdeen at $2,289. 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 $861 versus $2,289 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.