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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,800 in Bath versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,152 in Bath versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,504 in Bath versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bath is roughly 223% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bath is 109% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 £15.13

$1.94 ฿63.5

948.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.2

$18.64 ฿609

450.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 £8.19

$7.82 ฿255

40.92%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.65

$1.95 ฿63.8

151.79%

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

$2.65 £1.97

$0.85 ฿27.77

211.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.30

$0.35 ฿11.58

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.67 £5.70

$2.13 ฿69.6

260.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.18

$3.73 ฿122

86.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.71 ฿56.0

11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.63 ฿53.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$1.14 ฿37.15

145.61%

Eggs

$5.28 £3.92

$1.93 ฿63.1

173.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 £9.21

$16.21 ฿530

-23.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 £8.00

$3.12 ฿102

244.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 £10.50

$10.90 ฿356

29.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 £2.92

$2.75 ฿90.0

42.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.21 ฿39.52

34.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$1.62 ฿53.0

100.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 £3.47

$1.59 ฿51.8

193.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.40 ฿45.70

17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.17 ฿38.17

56.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$0.66 ฿21.60

89.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$0.53 ฿17.22

237.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 £14.56

$4.69 ฿153

317.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 £7.98

$18.66 ฿609

-42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$1.80 ฿58.8

78.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.30

$3.23 ฿106

-4.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 £2.07

$0.90 ฿29.26

208.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 £89.0

$19.21 ฿628

523.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.96

$1.41 ฿45.91

278.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.29 ฿42.12

31.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 £20.13

$7.84 ฿256

245.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.27 ฿41.58

49.61%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

79.47%

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

$44.7K £33.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

101.07%

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

$352 £262

$69.1 ฿2,256

409.45%

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

$18.63 £13.84

$14.08 ฿460

32.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.28 £34.40

$18.00 ฿588

157.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.40 £35.98

$41.06 ฿1,341

17.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 £8.56

$6.96 ฿227

65.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 £10.14

$5.92 ฿193

130.41%

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

$1,754 £1,304

$299 ฿9,766

486.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K £12.3K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

10.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 £62.9

$54.7 ฿1,787

54.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.32 £36.66

$26.77 ฿874

84.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 £68.6

$85.0 ฿2,776

8.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 £64.4

$70.6 ฿2,306

22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 £1,226

$428 ฿14.0K

285.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 £1,052

$237 ฿7,752

496.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,463 £2,574

$801 ฿26.2K

332.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,401 £1,785

$515 ฿16.8K

365.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K £7,667

$1,975 ฿64.5K

422.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,854 £5,095

$1,475 ฿48.2K

364.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,668 £2,727

$617 ฿20.2K

494.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

14.80%

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

Last update for Bath: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,650 in Bath and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bath pays 494% 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: $103 in Bath vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $246 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 223% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bath pays 494% 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: $1,650 in Bath versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,800 per month in Bath versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 523% less than in Bath. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,800 in Bath, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bath. 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 Bath, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bath 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 223% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.