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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,423 in Bexley versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Bexley versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,657 in Bexley versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bexley is roughly 181% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bexley is 81% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 £15.24

$1.96 ฿65.8

944.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 £59.8

$18.35 ฿617

337.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 £7.71

$7.48 ฿252

38.50%

Cappuccino

$4.80 £3.57

$2.02 ฿67.8

137.62%

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

$2.31 £1.72

$0.85 ฿28.50

171.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.36

$0.36 ฿11.96

405.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 £6.02

$2.14 ฿71.8

277.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 £5.52

$3.59 ฿121

106.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.65 ฿55.5

7.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.57 ฿52.7

7.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 £1.90

$1.19 ฿40.02

114.29%

Eggs

$4.78 £3.56

$1.94 ฿65.1

146.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 £8.36

$16.19 ฿544

-30.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 £6.49

$2.99 ฿101

191.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 £10.66

$10.94 ฿368

30.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 £2.58

$2.71 ฿91.2

28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.17 ฿39.25

32.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$1.69 ฿56.7

93.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.57

$1.60 ฿54.0

115.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.38 ฿46.54

23.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.20 ฿40.45

47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 £0.79

$0.67 ฿22.50

59.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.48

$0.56 ฿18.73

255.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 £14.30

$4.64 ฿156

314.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 £8.35

$17.62 ฿593

-36.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.43

$1.86 ฿62.5

75.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 £3.04

$3.30 ฿111

23.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 £2.44

$0.88 ฿29.68

272.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 £67.1

$19.34 ฿650

366.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

$1.36 ฿45.90

290.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.34 ฿44.98

14.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 £24.82

$8.21 ฿276

305.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.22 ฿41.18

59.02%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

79.71%

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

$39.5K £29.4K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

75.39%

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

$317 £236

$70.7 ฿2,376

348.83%

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

$18.67 £13.90

$14.04 ฿472

32.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £31.97

$17.49 ฿588

145.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.89 £34.17

$42.15 ฿1,417

8.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 £10.93

$5.92 ฿199

147.97%

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

$1,797 £1,338

$309 ฿10.4K

482.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K £21.2K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

91.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 £75.3

$55.8 ฿1,875

81.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.25 £35.92

$26.11 ฿878

84.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £69.5

$83.0 ฿2,792

12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £89.2

$70.5 ฿2,369

70.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 £903

$432 ฿14.5K

180.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 £759

$239 ฿8,035

326.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 £1,519

$822 ฿27.7K

148.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 £1,259

$512 ฿17.2K

230.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,737 £4,271

$1,915 ฿64.4K

199.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 £1,790

$579 ฿19.5K

315.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

1.00%

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

Last update for Bexley: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Bexley and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bexley pays 315% 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: $80.0 in Bexley vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 181% lower than in Bexley. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 315% higher in Bexley, 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: $1,212 in Bexley versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 366% less than in Bexley. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,797 in Bexley versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,423 in Bexley, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bexley. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $861 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bexley 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 181% less than in Bexley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.