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: $2,470 in Ashford versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,407 in Ashford versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,344 in Ashford versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ashford is roughly 161% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashford is 80% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 £15.68

$2.08 ฿68.6

919.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 £59.1

$19.64 ฿646

307.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £7.92

$5.65 ฿186

89.56%

Cappuccino

$5.73 £4.24

$1.81 ฿59.4

216.57%

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

$2.70 £2.00

$0.71 ฿23.45

280.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.35

$0.32 ฿10.38

471.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 £2.96

$2.24 ฿73.6

78.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 £5.41

$3.63 ฿119

101.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.96 ฿64.4

-23.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.50 ฿49.39

-14.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.34 ฿43.93

28.36%

Eggs

$3.35 £2.48

$2.26 ฿74.5

48.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.29 £3.91

$16.26 ฿535

-67.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 £5.13

$2.95 ฿97.1

135.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 £11.23

$9.94 ฿327

52.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.57 ฿84.6

31.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.06 ฿34.73

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 £2.14

$1.61 ฿53.0

80.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.48

$1.52 ฿49.97

121.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.26

$1.27 ฿41.77

34.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.07 ฿35.06

33.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 £1.07

$0.72 ฿23.68

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.51 ฿16.72

198.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.68 £13.81

$4.19 ฿138

345.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 £7.14

$17.87 ฿587

-45.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.04

$1.69 ฿55.7

63.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 £2.75

$2.84 ฿93.3

30.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 £3.09

$0.93 ฿30.43

349.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 £110

$53.9 ฿1,771

175.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 £4.53

$1.23 ฿40.59

397.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.23

$0.58 ฿18.96

187.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.80 £16.11

$2.42 ฿79.7

800.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.41 ฿46.43

38.30%

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

$34.7K £25.6K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

61.69%

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

$40.6K £30.0K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

48.71%

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

$256 £189

$63.7 ฿2,093

301.34%

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

$18.44 £13.63

$12.85 ฿423

43.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.63 £28.56

$20.22 ฿665

91.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 £46.44

$38.74 ฿1,274

62.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.03 £14.07

$3.97 ฿130

379.35%

Cinema Ticket

$21.03 £15.55

$6.74 ฿222

212.02%

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

$1,091 £807

$778 ฿25.6K

40.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.1K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

39.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 £52.2

$54.3 ฿1,785

30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.44 £21.02

$25.45 ฿837

11.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 £58.7

$94.3 ฿3,102

-15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 £73.8

$73.4 ฿2,415

36.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 £852

$490 ฿16.1K

135.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 £858

$289 ฿9,512

301.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 £1,285

$894 ฿29.4K

94.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 £1,105

$517 ฿17.0K

189.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,441 £4,761

$1,955 ฿64.3K

229.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,889 £3,614

$1,477 ฿48.6K

231.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,537 £1,875

$602 ฿19.8K

321.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

5.57

-11.85%

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

Last update for Ashford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,153 in Ashford and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 321% 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: $80.0 in Ashford vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $240 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, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 321% 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: $1,153 in Ashford versus $490 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 $20.00 versus $80.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,470 per month in Ashford versus $947 in Chiang Mai – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $2,470 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 161% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.