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: $2,268 in Ashford versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,164 in Ashford versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,060 in Ashford versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ashford is roughly 162% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashford is 69% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 £14.88

$1.94 ฿63.5

929.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 £70.8

$18.64 ฿609

409.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.13

$7.82 ฿255

39.51%

Cappuccino

$4.01 £2.99

$1.95 ฿63.8

105.64%

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

$2.86 £2.13

$0.85 ฿27.77

236.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.47

$0.35 ฿11.58

462.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.21 £4.62

$2.13 ฿69.6

191.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 £4.67

$3.73 ฿122

68.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.71 ฿56.0

9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.63 ฿53.2

-10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 £2.10

$1.14 ฿37.15

147.37%

Eggs

$3.75 £2.79

$1.93 ฿63.1

94.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.03 £4.50

$16.21 ฿530

-62.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 £5.09

$3.12 ฿102

118.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 £9.72

$10.90 ฿356

19.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 £2.47

$2.75 ฿90.0

20.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.21 ฿39.52

62.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 £2.77

$1.62 ฿53.0

129.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 £2.64

$1.59 ฿51.8

122.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.40 ฿45.70

40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.17 ฿38.17

79.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$0.66 ฿21.60

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$0.53 ฿17.22

175.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.80 £14.75

$4.69 ฿153

322.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 £7.10

$18.66 ฿609

-48.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.62

$1.80 ฿58.8

95.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 £3.16

$3.23 ฿106

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.49

$0.90 ฿29.26

271.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 £66.9

$19.21 ฿628

367.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 £5.15

$1.41 ฿45.91

390.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.29 ฿42.12

20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.3 £39.69

$7.84 ฿256

579.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.27 ฿41.58

53.54%

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

$24.9K £18.6K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

17.11%

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

$26.3K £19.6K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

18.53%

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

$252 £188

$69.1 ฿2,256

264.57%

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

$15.62 £11.64

$14.08 ฿460

10.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.76 £25.15

$18.00 ฿588

87.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 £44.25

$41.06 ฿1,341

44.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 £12.30

$5.92 ฿193

178.89%

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

$2,296 £1,711

$299 ฿9,766

667.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K £17.0K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

52.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 £65.8

$54.7 ฿1,787

61.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.50 £21.98

$26.77 ฿874

10.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 £63.9

$85.0 ฿2,776

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 £68.2

$70.6 ฿2,306

29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 £963

$428 ฿14.0K

202.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 £741

$237 ฿7,752

319.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 £1,390

$801 ฿26.2K

132.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 £956

$515 ฿16.8K

148.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,583 £4,905

$1,975 ฿64.5K

233.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,754 £3,542

$1,475 ฿48.2K

222.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,481 £1,849

$617 ฿20.2K

301.85%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,293 in Ashford and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 302% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 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

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 162% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ashford pays 302% 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: $1,293 in Ashford versus $428 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 $19.00 versus $95.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Ashford versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 162% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,268 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 162% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.