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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,776 per month in Barnsley vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,759 per month in Barnsley vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,741 per month in Barnsley vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Barnsley costs about 106% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barnsley sits 33% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.01 £20.11

$1.96 ฿65.8

1278.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 £66.7

$18.35 ฿617

388.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 £7.80

$7.48 ฿252

40.11%

Cappuccino

$4.56 £3.40

$2.02 ฿67.8

125.74%

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

$2.45 £1.82

$0.85 ฿28.50

188.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.32

$0.36 ฿11.96

394.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 £4.20

$2.14 ฿71.8

163.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.19

$3.59 ฿121

94.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.65 ฿55.5

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.57 ฿52.7

3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.19 ฿40.02

63.87%

Eggs

$3.78 £2.81

$1.94 ฿65.1

94.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 £7.21

$16.19 ฿544

-40.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 £6.60

$2.99 ฿101

196.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 £8.84

$10.94 ฿368

8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 £2.13

$2.71 ฿91.2

5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.17 ฿39.25

26.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 £1.96

$1.69 ฿56.7

55.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$1.60 ฿54.0

85.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.38 ฿46.54

32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.20 ฿40.45

30.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$0.67 ฿22.50

67.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.03

$0.56 ฿18.73

148.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.28 £14.35

$4.64 ฿156

315.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 £8.58

$17.62 ฿593

-34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.09

$1.86 ฿62.5

51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.53

$3.30 ฿111

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$0.88 ฿29.68

206.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 £67.2

$19.34 ฿650

366.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 £4.13

$1.36 ฿45.90

307.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.34 ฿44.98

-7.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.72 £14.68

$8.21 ฿276

140.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.22 ฿41.18

61.48%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

82.00%

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

$41.1K £30.6K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

82.41%

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

$202 £150

$70.7 ฿2,376

185.82%

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

$18.97 £14.12

$14.04 ฿472

35.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.11

$17.49 ฿588

146.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.42 £34.56

$42.15 ฿1,417

10.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 £9.02

$5.92 ฿199

104.73%

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

$1,515 £1,128

$309 ฿10.4K

391.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,756 £5,030

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-54.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 £43.65

$55.8 ฿1,875

5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 £28.76

$26.11 ฿878

47.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 £63.2

$83.0 ฿2,792

2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 £60.6

$70.5 ฿2,369

15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 £553

$432 ฿14.5K

71.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 £431

$239 ฿8,035

142.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 £875

$822 ฿27.7K

42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$991 £737

$512 ฿17.2K

93.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,948 £2,195

$579 ฿19.5K

408.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

18.00%

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

Last update for Barnsley: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Barnsley 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 409% higher in Barnsley, 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 $90.0 in Barnsley versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 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

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

Yes – Barnsley is pricier by about 106%, 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 $2,664 per month in Barnsley 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 $1,776 in Barnsley 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 367% 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 Barnsley at $1,776. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barnsley 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, Barnsley makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.