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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,258 per month in Braintree vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,365 per month in Braintree vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,473 per month in Braintree vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Braintree costs about 138% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Braintree sits 64% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.38

$2.08 ฿69.2

896.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 £69.8

$19.64 ฿651

378.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £8.01

$5.65 ฿188

91.15%

Cappuccino

$4.74 £3.51

$1.81 ฿59.9

161.88%

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

$1.93 £1.43

$0.71 ฿23.66

171.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 £0.87

$0.32 ฿10.48

268.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.74 £5.00

$2.24 ฿74.2

200.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 £4.54

$3.63 ฿121

68.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.96 ฿65.0

-19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.50 ฿49.83

-9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.34 ฿44.32

24.63%

Eggs

$3.25 £2.41

$2.26 ฿75.1

43.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 £6.38

$16.26 ฿539

-47.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 £5.89

$2.95 ฿98.0

169.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 £10.03

$9.94 ฿330

36.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 £2.41

$2.57 ฿85.3

26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.06 ฿35.04

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 £1.90

$1.61 ฿53.5

59.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 £2.22

$1.52 ฿50.4

96.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.27 ฿42.14

35.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.07 ฿35.37

35.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$0.72 ฿23.89

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$0.51 ฿16.87

184.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.78 £17.63

$4.19 ฿139

467.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 £6.81

$17.87 ฿593

-48.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.03

$1.69 ฿56.2

62.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 £1.78

$2.84 ฿94.1

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 £2.56

$0.93 ฿30.70

270.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 £70.7

$53.9 ฿1,787

76.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 £3.77

$1.23 ฿40.95

313.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 £1.02

$0.58 ฿19.13

137.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 £16.19

$2.42 ฿80.4

802.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.41 ฿46.84

39.01%

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

$39.2K £29.1K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

82.74%

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

$41.0K £30.4K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

49.92%

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

$251 £186

$63.7 ฿2,112

294.58%

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

$15.04 £11.16

$12.85 ฿426

17.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.59 £30.10

$20.22 ฿671

100.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.21 £35.02

$38.74 ฿1,285

21.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿132

Cinema Ticket

$21.30 £15.80

$6.74 ฿223

216.02%

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

$1,070 £794

$778 ฿25.8K

37.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K £15.1K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

39.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 £52.9

$54.3 ฿1,801

31.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.10 £23.07

$25.45 ฿844

22.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 £60.4

$94.3 ฿3,129

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 £38.13

$73.4 ฿2,436

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 £913

$490 ฿16.2K

151.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 £768

$289 ฿9,596

257.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 £1,569

$894 ฿29.6K

136.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 £1,288

$517 ฿17.1K

235.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,191 £3,850

$1,955 ฿64.9K

165.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,409 £3,270

$1,477 ฿49.0K

198.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.84

5.57

-13.11%

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

Last update for Braintree: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,231 in Braintree versus $490 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Braintree versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $240 – 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,258 in Braintree, $947 in Chiang Mai – roughly 138% apart. Braintree costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,387 per month in Braintree and $1,421 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.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Braintree, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Braintree and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Braintree at $2,258. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Braintree it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $947 in Chiang Mai to $2,258 in Braintree. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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