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: $2,903 in Bath versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Bath versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,456 in Bath versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bath is roughly 237% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bath is 117% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 £15.30

$1.96 ฿65.9

949.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.8

$18.35 ฿617

448.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 £8.19

$7.48 ฿252

47.19%

Cappuccino

$4.95 £3.68

$2.02 ฿67.8

145.05%

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

$2.56 £1.90

$0.85 ฿28.52

201.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.35

$0.36 ฿11.97

402.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 £5.70

$2.14 ฿71.9

257.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.00

$3.59 ฿121

87.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.65 ฿55.5

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.57 ฿52.7

4.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$1.19 ฿40.05

136.13%

Eggs

$5.49 £4.08

$1.94 ฿65.1

182.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 £9.09

$16.19 ฿545

-24.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.72 £7.97

$2.99 ฿101

258.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 £10.45

$10.94 ฿368

28.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 £3.01

$2.71 ฿91.2

49.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.17 ฿39.27

34.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$1.69 ฿56.8

88.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 £3.48

$1.60 ฿54.0

192.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.38 ฿46.56

21.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.20 ฿40.47

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$0.67 ฿22.51

86.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.37

$0.56 ฿18.74

228.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 £14.33

$4.64 ฿156

315.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.31

$17.62 ฿593

-36.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.40

$1.86 ฿62.6

73.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.31

$3.30 ฿111

-6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$0.88 ฿29.70

203.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 £87.7

$19.34 ฿651

509.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 £3.99

$1.36 ฿45.92

294.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.34 ฿45.00

29.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.61 £20.54

$8.21 ฿276

236.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.22 ฿41.20

60.66%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

78.45%

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

$43.4K £32.3K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

92.49%

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

$353 £262

$70.7 ฿2,378

399.31%

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

$18.58 £13.82

$14.04 ฿472

32.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.04 £34.99

$17.49 ฿589

168.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.87 £36.35

$42.15 ฿1,418

15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 £8.57

$6.88 ฿231

67.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 £10.18

$5.92 ฿199

131.25%

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

$1,750 £1,301

$309 ฿10.4K

467.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K £12.1K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

9.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £62.8

$55.8 ฿1,876

51.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.86 £35.60

$26.11 ฿879

83.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £68.6

$83.0 ฿2,793

11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 £65.2

$70.5 ฿2,371

24.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 £1,255

$432 ฿14.5K

290.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 £1,038

$239 ฿8,040

484.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,409 £2,536

$822 ฿27.7K

314.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 £1,781

$512 ฿17.2K

367.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K £7,478

$1,915 ฿64.4K

425.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,799 £5,057

$1,467 ฿49.4K

363.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,580 £2,663

$579 ฿19.5K

517.93%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,688 in Bath and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bath pays 518% 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: $101 in Bath vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $243 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 237% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 518% higher in Bath, 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: $1,688 in Bath versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,903 per month in Bath versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 237% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 510% less than in Bath. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,903 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 237% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.