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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,883 in Bangor versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Bangor versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,158 in Bangor versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bangor is roughly 121% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bangor is 42% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.44 £18.11

$2.04 ฿68.2

1098.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 £62.1

$18.71 ฿624

347.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 £7.52

$7.86 ฿262

29.01%

Cappuccino

$4.34 £3.21

$2.03 ฿67.7

113.79%

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

$2.01 £1.49

$0.80 ฿26.64

151.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.46

$0.35 ฿11.68

462.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.12

$2.14 ฿71.5

222.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 £5.64

$3.67 ฿122

107.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.73 ฿57.6

7.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 £1.67

$1.57 ฿52.4

43.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.20 ฿39.99

90.00%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.85

$1.97 ฿65.8

95.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 £7.16

$16.23 ฿541

-40.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 £8.16

$3.06 ฿102

259.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 £10.59

$10.80 ฿360

32.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$2.77 ฿92.3

15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.17 ฿38.94

41.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.10

$1.71 ฿57.0

66.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.66

$1.59 ฿53.2

125.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.39 ฿46.51

17.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.16 ฿38.56

28.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 £0.80

$0.66 ฿22.05

62.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.07

$0.52 ฿17.31

178.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.07 £14.14

$4.65 ฿155

310.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 £7.95

$17.78 ฿593

-39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 £2.01

$1.79 ฿59.6

51.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.37

$3.34 ฿111

-4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 £2.99

$0.91 ฿30.27

342.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 £66.9

$18.64 ฿622

384.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 £3.43

$1.41 ฿47.04

227.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.34 ฿44.70

43.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.45 £17.38

$8.11 ฿270

189.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.23 ฿41.16

58.54%

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

$38.4K £28.4K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

79.05%

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

$41.0K £30.4K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

87.67%

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

$296 £220

$71.3 ฿2,379

315.48%

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

$24.34 £18.04

$14.01 ฿467

73.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.18 £29.78

$17.93 ฿598

124.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.84 £32.49

$40.82 ฿1,362

7.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 £14.84

$6.88 ฿230

191.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 £7.94

$5.72 ฿191

87.24%

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

$1,571 £1,164

$308 ฿10.3K

409.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.7K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

26.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 £63.1

$55.8 ฿1,860

52.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 £32.38

$26.04 ฿869

67.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.1

$84.8 ฿2,829

25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 £91.9

$71.0 ฿2,368

74.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 £462

$423 ฿14.1K

47.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 £373

$242 ฿8,088

107.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 £947

$797 ฿26.6K

60.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 £819

$507 ฿16.9K

118.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,626 £4,170

$1,918 ฿64.0K

193.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,341 £1,735

$595 ฿19.9K

293.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

10.00%

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

Last update for Bangor: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Bangor and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangor pays 293% 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: $84.0 in Bangor vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $244 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

Bangor 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 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 293% higher in Bangor, 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: $623 in Bangor versus $423 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 $84.0 in Bangor. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,883 per month in Bangor versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,883 in Bangor, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bangor. 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 Bangor, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bangor 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 121% less than in Bangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.