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: $2,416 in Bexley versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,552 in Bexley versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,688 in Bexley versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bexley is roughly 179% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bexley is 80% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.62 £15.36

$1.94 ฿63.5

962.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 £59.0

$18.64 ฿609

324.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 £7.76

$7.82 ฿255

33.12%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.47

$1.95 ฿63.8

138.97%

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

$2.22 £1.65

$0.85 ฿27.77

161.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$0.35 ฿11.58

411.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 £6.12

$2.13 ฿69.6

285.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 £5.64

$3.73 ฿122

102.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.71 ฿56.0

4.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.63 ฿53.2

3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 £1.91

$1.14 ฿37.15

124.56%

Eggs

$5.03 £3.75

$1.93 ฿63.1

160.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 £8.25

$16.21 ฿530

-31.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 £6.71

$3.12 ฿102

188.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 £10.60

$10.90 ฿356

30.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 £2.59

$2.75 ฿90.0

26.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.21 ฿39.52

28.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$1.62 ฿53.0

101.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 £2.70

$1.59 ฿51.8

127.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.40 ฿45.70

19.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.17 ฿38.17

58.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$0.66 ฿21.60

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.47

$0.53 ฿17.22

271.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.75 £14.71

$4.69 ฿153

321.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 £8.27

$18.66 ฿609

-40.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.42

$1.80 ฿58.8

80.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 £3.00

$3.23 ฿106

24.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 £2.53

$0.90 ฿29.26

277.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$19.21 ฿628

365.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 £4.08

$1.41 ฿45.91

288.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.29 ฿42.12

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.82 £25.19

$7.84 ฿256

331.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.27 ฿41.58

51.18%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

80.27%

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

$39.1K £29.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

76.24%

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

$324 £242

$69.1 ฿2,256

369.76%

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

$18.07 £13.46

$14.08 ฿460

28.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.98 £32.02

$18.00 ฿588

138.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.74 £34.82

$41.06 ฿1,341

13.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.93

$5.92 ฿193

147.80%

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

$1,815 £1,352

$299 ฿9,766

506.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.8K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

86.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.8

$54.7 ฿1,787

85.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.95 £35.72

$26.77 ฿874

79.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 £70.1

$85.0 ฿2,776

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 £89.8

$70.6 ฿2,306

70.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £898

$428 ฿14.0K

181.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 £751

$237 ฿7,752

324.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 £1,514

$801 ฿26.2K

153.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 £1,285

$515 ฿16.8K

234.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,424 £3,296

$1,975 ฿64.5K

124.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,450 £1,826

$617 ฿20.2K

296.85%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,205 in Bexley and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bexley pays 297% 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: $79.0 in Bexley vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 179% 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.

Bexley pays 297% 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: $1,205 in Bexley versus $428 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 365% less than in Bexley. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Bexley versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,416 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 $866 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 179% less than in Bexley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.