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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Andover versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,383 in Andover versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,560 in Andover versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Andover is roughly 155% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Andover is 65% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 £9.68

$1.94 ฿63.5

569.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 £45.21

$18.64 ฿609

225.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 £6.82

$7.82 ฿255

17.14%

Cappuccino

$4.02 £2.99

$1.95 ฿63.8

106.15%

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

$2.02 £1.51

$0.85 ฿27.77

137.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$0.35 ฿11.58

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 £3.22

$2.13 ฿69.6

102.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 £4.13

$3.73 ฿122

48.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.71 ฿56.0

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.63 ฿53.2

-7.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.14 ฿37.15

42.11%

Eggs

$3.24 £2.41

$1.93 ฿63.1

67.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 £6.64

$16.21 ฿530

-44.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 £5.35

$3.12 ฿102

130.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 £11.35

$10.90 ฿356

39.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 £3.23

$2.75 ฿90.0

57.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.21 ฿39.52

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 £1.54

$1.62 ฿53.0

27.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 £1.63

$1.59 ฿51.8

37.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 £0.81

$1.40 ฿45.70

-22.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.17 ฿38.17

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 £0.82

$0.66 ฿21.60

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.00

$0.53 ฿17.22

154.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.18 £12.80

$4.69 ฿153

266.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 £8.55

$18.66 ฿609

-38.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.06

$1.80 ฿58.8

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$3.23 ฿106

-42.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 £2.02

$0.90 ฿29.26

201.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.07 £35.81

$19.21 ฿628

150.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 £3.36

$1.41 ฿45.91

219.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.29 ฿42.12

24.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.26 £12.11

$7.84 ฿256

107.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.27 ฿41.58

47.24%

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

$36.7K £27.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

72.68%

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

$40.0K £29.8K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

79.96%

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

$277 £206

$69.1 ฿2,256

301.13%

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

$15.68 £11.68

$14.08 ฿460

11.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.89 £30.46

$18.00 ฿588

127.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.17 £32.90

$41.06 ฿1,341

7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.34 £6.96

$6.96 ฿227

34.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 £7.94

$5.92 ฿193

80.07%

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

$1,313 £978

$299 ฿9,766

339.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

20.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.20 £34.42

$54.7 ฿1,787

-15.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.14 £31.39

$26.77 ฿874

57.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 £61.0

$85.0 ฿2,776

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 £49.01

$70.6 ฿2,306

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 £944

$428 ฿14.0K

195.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 £863

$237 ฿7,752

387.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 £1,555

$801 ฿26.2K

160.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 £1,696

$515 ฿16.8K

341.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 £2,236

$617 ฿20.2K

386.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

18.00%

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

Last update for Andover: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Andover and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andover pays 386% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Andover vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $246 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Andover and Chiang Mai differ by about 155% in total monthly costs ($2,206 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Andover pays 386% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,267 in Andover versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,206 per month in Andover versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 150% less than in Andover. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,206 in Andover, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Andover. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Andover and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Andover. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.