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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,094 per month in Brentwood vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,351 per month in Brentwood vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,607 per month in Brentwood vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brentwood costs about 259% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Brentwood sits 132% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.97

$1.96 ฿65.7

927.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 £60.7

$18.35 ฿616

345.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 £8.20

$7.48 ฿251

47.46%

Cappuccino

$4.83 £3.59

$2.02 ฿67.7

139.11%

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

$1.56 £1.16

$0.85 ฿28.45

83.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 £0.81

$0.36 ฿11.94

202.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 £3.93

$2.14 ฿71.7

146.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 £4.66

$3.59 ฿121

74.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 £1.04

$1.65 ฿55.4

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 £0.81

$1.57 ฿52.6

-31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.19 ฿39.95

89.08%

Eggs

$3.73 £2.77

$1.94 ฿65.0

92.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 £6.23

$16.19 ฿544

-48.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 £5.35

$2.99 ฿100

140.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 £9.77

$10.94 ฿367

20.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.32

$2.71 ฿91.0

15.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.17 ฿39.18

27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.25

$1.69 ฿56.6

78.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 £2.19

$1.60 ฿53.9

83.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.38 ฿46.45

-28.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.20 ฿40.38

7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 £0.65

$0.67 ฿22.46

31.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.04

$0.56 ฿18.70

148.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.70 £12.42

$4.64 ฿156

259.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.01 £6.70

$17.62 ฿591

-48.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$1.86 ฿62.4

24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 £1.85

$3.30 ฿111

-24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.37 £3.99

$0.88 ฿29.63

510.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 £64.8

$19.34 ฿649

350.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.92

$1.36 ฿45.82

288.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.34 ฿44.90

-2.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.56 £16.77

$8.21 ฿276

174.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.22 ฿41.11

54.92%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

81.75%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

78.64%

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

$330 £245

$70.7 ฿2,372

366.45%

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

$14.35 £10.67

$14.04 ฿471

2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.66 £25.76

$17.49 ฿587

98.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.12 £28.34

$42.15 ฿1,415

-9.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.58 £16.79

$6.88 ฿231

228.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 £11.15

$5.92 ฿199

153.38%

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

$1,668 £1,240

$309 ฿10.4K

440.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K £17.2K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

55.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 £63.1

$55.8 ฿1,872

52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.54 £30.88

$26.11 ฿877

59.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 £66.7

$83.0 ฿2,787

8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.5

$70.5 ฿2,365

44.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 £1,154

$432 ฿14.5K

259.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 £1,383

$239 ฿8,020

678.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,863 £2,129

$822 ฿27.6K

248.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 £2,109

$512 ฿17.2K

453.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 £3,886

$1,915 ฿64.3K

173.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,587 £2,667

$1,467 ฿49.3K

144.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,318 £2,467

$579 ฿19.4K

472.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

9.00%

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

Last update for Brentwood: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,552 in Brentwood 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 473% higher in Brentwood, 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 $82.0 in Brentwood versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 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

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

Brentwood costs about 259% 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 $4,641 per month in Brentwood 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Brentwood and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,094 in Brentwood and $861 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Brentwood at $3,094. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brentwood it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $3,094 in Brentwood. 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, Brentwood makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.