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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,440 in Bridgend versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,503 in Bridgend versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,567 in Bridgend versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bridgend is roughly 183% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bridgend is 83% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.38 £15.92

$1.96 ฿65.8

990.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 £60.0

$18.35 ฿617

338.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 £7.54

$7.48 ฿252

35.29%

Cappuccino

$3.83 £2.85

$2.02 ฿67.8

89.60%

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

$2.27 £1.69

$0.85 ฿28.50

167.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.20

$0.36 ฿11.96

347.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 £3.67

$2.14 ฿71.8

130.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 £4.44

$3.59 ฿121

66.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.65 ฿55.5

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.57 ฿52.7

23.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 £2.14

$1.19 ฿40.02

142.02%

Eggs

$6.52 £4.85

$1.94 ฿65.1

236.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 £7.11

$16.19 ฿544

-40.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.01 £8.94

$2.99 ฿101

301.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 £10.67

$10.94 ฿368

31.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.33

$2.71 ฿91.2

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.17 ฿39.25

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 £2.16

$1.69 ฿56.7

71.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 £2.64

$1.60 ฿54.0

121.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.38 ฿46.54

18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.20 ฿40.45

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 £0.80

$0.67 ฿22.50

59.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.10

$0.56 ฿18.73

164.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.07 £14.20

$4.64 ฿156

310.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 £8.10

$17.62 ฿593

-38.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 £2.08

$1.86 ฿62.5

50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 £2.41

$3.30 ฿111

-1.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.96

$0.88 ฿29.68

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.1 £65.6

$19.34 ฿650

355.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.16

$1.36 ฿45.90

310.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.34 ฿44.98

14.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.73 £16.92

$8.21 ฿276

176.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.22 ฿41.18

66.39%

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

$37.9K £28.2K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

77.52%

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

$51.4K £38.3K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

128.30%

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

$366 £273

$70.7 ฿2,376

418.20%

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

$26.06 £19.41

$14.04 ฿472

85.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.50 £31.64

$17.49 ฿588

143.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 £37.31

$42.15 ฿1,417

18.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.75 £8.01

$6.88 ฿231

56.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 £10.17

$5.92 ฿199

130.74%

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

$1,609 £1,198

$309 ฿10.4K

421.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.6K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

22.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 £62.4

$55.8 ฿1,875

50.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.74 £31.82

$26.11 ฿878

63.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 £67.9

$83.0 ฿2,792

9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 £61.8

$70.5 ฿2,369

17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 £911

$432 ฿14.5K

183.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 £758

$239 ฿8,035

326.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 £866

$822 ฿27.7K

41.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 £1,258

$512 ฿17.2K

229.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,811 £3,582

$1,915 ฿64.4K

151.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 £1,667

$579 ฿19.5K

286.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

12.60%

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

Last update for Bridgend: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,223 in Bridgend and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgend pays 287% 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: $81.0 in Bridgend vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 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

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

Bridgend and Chiang Mai differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($2,440 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 287% higher in Bridgend, 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: $1,223 in Bridgend versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,609 in Bridgend 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 36% higher in Bridgend. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,440 in Bridgend, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bridgend. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bridgend 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 183% less than in Bridgend. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.