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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,269 in Ashford versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,205 in Ashford versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,141 in Ashford versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ashford is roughly 164% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashford is 70% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 £14.89

$1.96 ฿65.8

920.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 £70.5

$18.35 ฿617

415.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.12

$7.48 ฿252

45.86%

Cappuccino

$4.10 £3.05

$2.02 ฿67.8

102.97%

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

$2.86 £2.13

$0.85 ฿28.50

236.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.52

$0.36 ฿11.96

466.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.27 £4.67

$2.14 ฿71.8

192.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 £4.58

$3.59 ฿121

71.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.65 ฿55.5

15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.57 ฿52.7

-7.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 £2.08

$1.19 ฿40.02

134.45%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.76

$1.94 ฿65.1

91.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 £4.67

$16.19 ฿544

-61.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 £5.07

$2.99 ฿101

127.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 £9.74

$10.94 ฿368

19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$2.71 ฿91.2

17.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.17 ฿39.25

70.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 £2.80

$1.69 ฿56.7

122.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.68

$1.60 ฿54.0

124.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.38 ฿46.54

40.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.20 ฿40.45

72.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$0.67 ฿22.50

80.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.56 ฿18.73

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.67 £14.64

$4.64 ฿156

323.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 £6.90

$17.62 ฿593

-47.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 £2.64

$1.86 ฿62.5

90.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 £3.10

$3.30 ฿111

26.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 £2.53

$0.88 ฿29.68

286.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.6

$19.34 ฿650

355.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 £5.08

$1.36 ฿45.90

401.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.34 ฿44.98

18.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.3 £40.41

$8.21 ฿276

561.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.22 ฿41.18

54.10%

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

$24.1K £17.9K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

12.69%

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

$27.0K £20.1K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

19.76%

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

$254 £189

$70.7 ฿2,376

260.10%

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

$15.60 £11.61

$14.04 ฿472

11.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.17 £25.44

$17.49 ฿588

95.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 £43.48

$42.15 ฿1,417

38.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 £12.18

$5.92 ฿199

176.35%

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

$2,230 £1,660

$309 ฿10.4K

622.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.4K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

56.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 £63.8

$55.8 ฿1,875

53.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.25 £21.77

$26.11 ฿878

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 £64.6

$83.0 ฿2,792

4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 £68.1

$70.5 ฿2,369

29.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 £952

$432 ฿14.5K

195.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £752

$239 ฿8,035

322.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 £1,366

$822 ฿27.7K

123.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 £956

$512 ฿17.2K

150.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,378 £4,749

$1,915 ฿64.4K

233.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,798 £3,572

$1,467 ฿49.3K

227.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,508 £1,867

$579 ฿19.5K

332.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.80%

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

Last update for Ashford: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Ashford and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 333% 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: $95.0 in Ashford vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 333% higher in Ashford, 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: $1,279 in Ashford versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $95.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,269 per month in Ashford versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,269 in Ashford, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ashford. 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 Ashford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ashford 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 164% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.