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 $1,901 per month in Barnsley vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,913 per month in Barnsley vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,925 per month in Barnsley vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Barnsley costs about 101% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barnsley sits 38% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.10 £17.83

$2.08 ฿68.6

1058.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 £62.6

$19.64 ฿646

330.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 £8.03

$5.65 ฿186

92.21%

Cappuccino

$5.17 £3.83

$1.81 ฿59.4

185.64%

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

$2.32 £1.71

$0.71 ฿23.46

226.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.27

$0.32 ฿10.39

437.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 £4.53

$2.24 ฿73.6

173.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 £5.05

$3.63 ฿120

87.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.96 ฿64.4

-15.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.50 ฿49.42

31.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.34 ฿43.96

56.72%

Eggs

$4.02 £2.98

$2.26 ฿74.5

77.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 £6.58

$16.26 ฿535

-45.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 £6.48

$2.95 ฿97.2

197.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 £11.10

$9.94 ฿327

50.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.24

$2.57 ฿84.6

17.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.06 ฿34.75

84.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 £1.92

$1.61 ฿53.0

60.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 £2.13

$1.52 ฿50.0

88.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 £1.42

$1.27 ฿41.80

51.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.07 ฿35.09

54.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 £1.11

$0.72 ฿23.70

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.05

$0.51 ฿16.73

178.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.59 £17.45

$4.19 ฿138

463.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 £8.66

$17.87 ฿588

-34.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 £2.49

$1.69 ฿55.7

98.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$2.84 ฿93.3

19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 £1.99

$0.93 ฿30.45

189.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.00

$1.23 ฿40.61

339.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.58 ฿18.97

151.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.57 £14.48

$2.42 ฿79.8

708.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.41 ฿46.46

43.26%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$21.4K ฿705.5K

82.46%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$27.3K ฿899.3K

50.25%

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

$291 £215

$63.7 ฿2,095

356.89%

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

$20.89 £15.45

$12.85 ฿423

62.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.29 £32.77

$20.22 ฿665

119.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 £49.69

$38.74 ฿1,275

73.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$12.84 £9.50

$6.74 ฿222

90.50%

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

$1,485 £1,098

$778 ฿25.6K

90.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K £12.2K

$14.6K ฿480.7K

12.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 £46.33

$54.3 ฿1,786

15.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.60 £31.52

$25.45 ฿837

67.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 £69.7

$94.3 ฿3,104

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 £58.0

$73.4 ฿2,416

6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 £694

$490 ฿16.1K

91.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 £501

$289 ฿9,518

134.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 £1,028

$894 ฿29.4K

55.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 £827

$517 ฿17.0K

116.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,030 £2,242

$602 ฿19.8K

403.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

5.57

0.72%

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

Last update for Barnsley: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $938 in Barnsley versus $490 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 403% 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 $85.0 in Barnsley versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $240 – 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 101%, 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 $2,851 per month in Barnsley and $1,421 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 $1,901 in Barnsley and $947 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $1,485 per month in Barnsley and $778 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Barnsley at $1,901. 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.