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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,137 in Belfast versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Belfast versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,343 in Belfast versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Belfast is roughly 148% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belfast is 60% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.96 £17.08

$1.96 ฿65.9

1071.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.7

$18.35 ฿617

483.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 £8.07

$7.48 ฿252

45.05%

Cappuccino

$4.58 £3.41

$2.02 ฿67.8

126.73%

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

$2.64 £1.96

$0.85 ฿28.52

210.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.54

$0.36 ฿11.97

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 £6.15

$2.14 ฿71.9

286.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 £5.07

$3.59 ฿121

89.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.65 ฿55.5

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.57 ฿52.7

26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$1.19 ฿40.05

138.66%

Eggs

$3.92 £2.91

$1.94 ฿65.1

102.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 £7.67

$16.19 ฿545

-36.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 £7.90

$2.99 ฿101

255.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 £10.07

$10.94 ฿368

23.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 £2.41

$2.71 ฿91.2

19.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.17 ฿39.27

64.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 £2.50

$1.69 ฿56.8

98.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 £2.99

$1.60 ฿54.0

151.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.38 ฿46.56

27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.20 ฿40.47

17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 £1.07

$0.67 ฿22.51

114.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.56 ฿18.74

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.63 £15.34

$4.64 ฿156

344.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.08 £8.24

$17.62 ฿593

-37.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$1.86 ฿62.6

45.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 £2.78

$3.30 ฿111

13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 £2.26

$0.88 ฿29.70

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 £64.9

$19.34 ฿651

351.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 £4.16

$1.36 ฿45.92

311.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.34 ฿45.00

26.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.00 £20.09

$8.21 ฿276

228.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.22 ฿41.20

60.66%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

80.38%

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

$42.7K £31.8K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

89.68%

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

$146 £109

$70.7 ฿2,378

106.85%

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

$18.28 £13.60

$14.04 ฿472

30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 £31.75

$17.49 ฿589

144.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.00 £34.96

$42.15 ฿1,418

11.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 £11.70

$6.88 ฿231

128.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 £10.19

$5.92 ฿199

131.42%

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

$1,506 £1,120

$309 ฿10.4K

387.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,861 £6,591

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-40.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 £63.4

$55.8 ฿1,876

52.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.43 £36.02

$26.11 ฿879

85.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.7

$83.0 ฿2,793

27.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 £64.0

$70.5 ฿2,371

22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 £920

$432 ฿14.5K

186.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 £710

$239 ฿8,040

299.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 £1,453

$822 ฿27.7K

137.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 £1,072

$512 ฿17.2K

181.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,155 £3,090

$1,915 ฿64.4K

116.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,578 £1,918

$1,467 ฿49.4K

75.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,080 £2,291

$579 ฿19.5K

431.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

12.40%

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

Last update for Belfast: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Belfast and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belfast pays 432% 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: $107 in Belfast vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 432% higher in Belfast, 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: $1,237 in Belfast versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Belfast versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Belfast. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,137 in Belfast, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Belfast. 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 Belfast, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Belfast 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 148% less than in Belfast. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.