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: $1,885 in Bangor versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,986 in Bangor versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Bangor versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bangor is roughly 117% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bangor is 40% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.01 £17.85

$1.98 ฿64.3

1112.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 £63.3

$18.80 ฿612

352.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 £7.67

$7.75 ฿252

33.16%

Cappuccino

$4.53 £3.37

$1.92 ฿62.5

135.94%

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

$1.94 £1.44

$0.79 ฿25.79

145.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$0.36 ฿11.62

425.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 £4.94

$2.21 ฿72.1

200.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 £5.61

$3.66 ฿119

106.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.65 ฿53.8

17.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.63 ฿53.2

39.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.19 ฿38.86

83.19%

Eggs

$3.89 £2.89

$2.00 ฿65.1

94.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 £7.17

$15.98 ฿520

-39.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 £8.01

$3.03 ฿98.5

255.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 £10.39

$10.86 ฿354

28.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.34

$2.76 ฿90.0

14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.18 ฿38.42

39.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 £2.18

$1.64 ฿53.5

78.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.63

$1.52 ฿49.51

132.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.38 ฿45.10

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.19 ฿38.84

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 £0.82

$0.70 ฿22.86

58.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.13

$0.56 ฿18.13

169.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.98 £14.11

$4.58 ฿149

314.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 £8.85

$16.56 ฿539

-28.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.04

$1.83 ฿59.5

49.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.32

$3.20 ฿104

-2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 £3.12

$0.88 ฿28.56

377.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 £65.0

$18.72 ฿610

367.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 £3.52

$1.36 ฿44.16

248.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.34 ฿43.65

38.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.96 £17.07

$7.84 ฿256

192.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.23 ฿39.92

63.41%

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

$39.0K £29.0K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

80.57%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

85.55%

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

$300 £223

$70.5 ฿2,298

324.99%

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

$24.32 £18.09

$13.68 ฿445

77.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.24 £30.66

$17.45 ฿568

136.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.49 £32.33

$41.33 ฿1,346

5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 £15.37

$6.96 ฿227

196.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 £8.09

$5.77 ฿188

88.56%

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

$1,594 £1,185

$307 ฿10.0K

419.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.5K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

23.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.1

$55.8 ฿1,817

47.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.62 £31.69

$26.21 ฿854

62.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.8

$85.8 ฿2,793

20.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £89.6

$72.2 ฿2,353

66.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 £446

$430 ฿14.0K

39.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 £378

$239 ฿7,774

113.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 £971

$817 ฿26.6K

59.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 £793

$511 ฿16.6K

108.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,091 £3,785

$1,983 ฿64.6K

156.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,390 £1,777

$619 ฿20.2K

286.27%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Bangor and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangor pays 286% 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: $85.0 in Bangor vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $241 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bangor pays 286% 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: $600 in Bangor versus $430 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 $85.0 in Bangor. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,885 per month in Bangor versus $869 in Chiang Mai – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,885 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 117% less than in Bangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.