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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,324 in Antrim versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,180 in Antrim versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,035 in Antrim versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Antrim is roughly 173% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antrim is 74% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.47 £17.39

$1.96 ฿64.0

1097.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.4

$18.81 ฿615

447.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 £7.24

$7.92 ฿259

23.36%

Cappuccino

$4.65 £3.45

$1.91 ฿62.6

143.46%

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

$2.62 £1.94

$0.84 ฿27.41

211.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.49

$0.35 ฿11.51

471.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 £5.52

$2.21 ฿72.1

237.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.16

$3.80 ฿124

83.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.64 ฿53.5

-0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.62 ฿53.1

17.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.18 ฿38.62

93.22%

Eggs

$4.24 £3.14

$2.01 ฿65.8

110.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.96 £8.86

$15.89 ฿520

-24.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 £7.79

$3.01 ฿98.5

249.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 £14.02

$10.77 ฿352

75.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 £2.49

$2.61 ฿85.5

28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.22 ฿39.88

54.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 £2.44

$1.70 ฿55.7

93.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 £3.58

$1.58 ฿51.5

206.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$1.32 ฿43.14

37.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.17 ฿38.23

21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$0.67 ฿21.98

73.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.07

$0.56 ฿18.32

158.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.15 £14.93

$4.53 ฿148

344.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.93

$18.20 ฿595

-41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.08

$1.83 ฿60.0

53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 £2.72

$3.23 ฿106

13.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.30 £5.41

$0.89 ฿29.00

720.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 £57.8

$19.38 ฿634

302.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.07

$1.35 ฿44.20

306.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.35 ฿44.05

38.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.26 £25.38

$8.25 ฿270

315.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.27 ฿41.64

51.97%

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

$38.2K £28.3K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

80.34%

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

$41.6K £30.8K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

84.80%

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

$255 £189

$70.2 ฿2,294

263.95%

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

$17.18 £12.73

$13.77 ฿450

24.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.88 £32.51

$17.60 ฿575

149.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 £23.15

$41.57 ฿1,360

-24.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.32 £6.91

$6.60 ฿216

41.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 £10.18

$5.78 ฿189

137.54%

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

$1,474 £1,092

$306 ฿10.0K

381.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,716 £6,459

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-41.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £61.9

$54.4 ฿1,778

53.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 £37.34

$26.14 ฿855

92.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.1

$84.5 ฿2,764

26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 £64.1

$69.4 ฿2,270

24.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 £792

$424 ฿13.9K

152.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 £714

$238 ฿7,788

304.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 £1,022

$825 ฿27.0K

67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 £751

$515 ฿16.8K

96.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,079 £2,281

$635 ฿20.8K

384.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

12.60%

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

Last update for Antrim: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Antrim and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antrim pays 385% 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: $103 in Antrim vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $243 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 173% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Antrim pays 385% 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: $1,069 in Antrim versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,324 per month in Antrim versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 302% less than in Antrim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,324 in Antrim, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Antrim. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Antrim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Antrim 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 173% less than in Antrim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.