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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,245 per month in Bedford vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,291 per month in Bedford vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,337 per month in Bedford vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bedford costs about 161% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bedford sits 68% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.49 £15.26

$1.96 ฿65.8

945.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 £50.0

$18.35 ฿617

266.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 £8.24

$7.48 ฿252

47.99%

Cappuccino

$4.13 £3.08

$2.02 ฿67.8

104.46%

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

$2.02 £1.51

$0.85 ฿28.50

137.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 £0.86

$0.36 ฿11.96

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 £3.92

$2.14 ฿71.8

146.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 £4.49

$3.59 ฿121

67.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.65 ฿55.5

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.57 ฿52.7

1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.19 ฿40.02

82.35%

Eggs

$3.59 £2.67

$1.94 ฿65.1

85.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 £7.97

$16.19 ฿544

-33.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 £7.15

$2.99 ฿101

221.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 £10.01

$10.94 ฿368

22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$2.71 ฿91.2

13.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.17 ฿39.25

50.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.24

$1.69 ฿56.7

78.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.44

$1.60 ฿54.0

105.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.38 ฿46.54

1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.20 ฿40.45

35.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$0.67 ฿22.50

55.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$0.56 ฿18.73

158.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.69 £15.41

$4.64 ฿156

345.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.97

$17.62 ฿593

-39.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 £2.14

$1.86 ฿62.5

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 £1.85

$3.30 ฿111

-24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 £2.01

$0.88 ฿29.68

207.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.7

$19.34 ฿650

356.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$1.36 ฿45.90

276.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 £2.46

$1.34 ฿44.98

147.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.12 £21.68

$8.21 ฿276

254.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.22 ฿41.18

53.28%

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

$37.7K £28.0K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

76.38%

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

$41.2K £30.7K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

82.80%

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

$277 £206

$70.7 ฿2,376

291.59%

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

$15.42 £11.48

$14.04 ฿472

9.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.15 £27.66

$17.49 ฿588

112.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.04 £33.53

$42.15 ฿1,417

6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 £11.15

$5.92 ฿199

153.04%

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

$1,055 £786

$309 ฿10.4K

242.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.9K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

52.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 £75.2

$55.8 ฿1,875

81.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.66 £28.03

$26.11 ฿878

44.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.2

$83.0 ฿2,792

31.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 £69.9

$70.5 ฿2,369

33.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 £866

$432 ฿14.5K

169.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$988 £735

$239 ฿8,035

313.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 £1,526

$822 ฿27.7K

149.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 £1,270

$512 ฿17.2K

233.26%

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)

$3,204 £2,385

$579 ฿19.5K

452.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

17.00%

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

Last update for Bedford: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,163 in Bedford 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 453% higher in Bedford, 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 $67.0 in Bedford versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 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

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

Bedford costs about 161% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,367 per month in Bedford 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 $2,245 in Bedford 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 356% 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 Bedford at $2,245. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bedford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $2,245 in Bedford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Bedford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.