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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,365 per month in Barnet vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,055 per month in Barnet vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,746 per month in Barnet vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Barnet costs about 175% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barnet sits 77% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.09 £20.17

$1.96 ฿65.8

1282.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.8 £71.3

$18.35 ฿617

421.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$7.48 ฿252

38.37%

Cappuccino

$5.23 £3.89

$2.02 ฿67.8

158.91%

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

$3.45 £2.57

$0.85 ฿28.50

305.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.40

$0.36 ฿11.96

422.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 £5.94

$2.14 ฿71.8

272.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.19

$3.59 ฿121

94.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.65 ฿55.5

-12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.57 ฿52.7

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 £1.98

$1.19 ฿40.02

124.37%

Eggs

$4.85 £3.61

$1.94 ฿65.1

150.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 £8.39

$16.19 ฿544

-30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 £6.44

$2.99 ฿101

189.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 £11.06

$10.94 ฿368

35.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.71 ฿91.2

11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.17 ฿39.25

74.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.17

$1.69 ฿56.7

72.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.62

$1.60 ฿54.0

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.38 ฿46.54

22.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.20 ฿40.45

47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 £0.82

$0.67 ฿22.50

64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$0.56 ฿18.73

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.19 £17.26

$4.64 ฿156

399.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 £10.07

$17.62 ฿593

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 £2.41

$1.86 ฿62.5

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 £3.00

$3.30 ฿111

22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 £1.79

$0.88 ฿29.68

172.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 £66.3

$19.34 ฿650

360.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 £4.00

$1.36 ฿45.90

294.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 £1.60

$1.34 ฿44.98

60.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.75 £10.98

$8.21 ฿276

79.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.22 ฿41.18

53.28%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

78.89%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

70.97%

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

$227 £169

$70.7 ฿2,376

220.77%

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

$20.18 £15.02

$14.04 ฿472

43.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.54 £32.41

$17.49 ฿588

148.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 £40.05

$42.15 ฿1,417

27.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 £9.98

$5.92 ฿199

126.35%

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

$1,934 £1,440

$309 ฿10.4K

526.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K £19.1K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

72.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 £62.1

$55.8 ฿1,875

49.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.45 £36.07

$26.11 ฿878

85.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 £82.3

$83.0 ฿2,792

33.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 £72.9

$70.5 ฿2,369

38.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 £898

$432 ฿14.5K

179.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 £754

$239 ฿8,035

324.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,423 £2,548

$822 ฿27.7K

316.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,744 £2,043

$512 ฿17.2K

435.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.2K £10.5K

$1,915 ฿64.4K

639.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K £10.5K

$1,467 ฿49.3K

861.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,625 £1,954

$579 ฿19.5K

353.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

1.00%

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

Last update for Barnet: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,207 in Barnet versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 353% higher in Barnet, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Barnet versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Barnet is pricier by about 175%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,547 per month in Barnet and $1,292 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,365 in Barnet and $861 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 361% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Barnet at $2,365. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barnet it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barnet makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.