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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,937 in Brighton versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,342 in Brighton versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,748 in Brighton versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brighton is roughly 239% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brighton is 119% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.97

$1.94 ฿63.5

938.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 £71.9

$18.64 ฿609

418.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 £7.18

$7.82 ฿255

23.53%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.38

$1.95 ฿63.8

133.33%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$0.85 ฿27.77

149.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$0.35 ฿11.58

365.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 £6.38

$2.13 ฿69.6

303.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 £4.96

$3.73 ฿122

79.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.71 ฿56.0

8.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.63 ฿53.2

28.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$1.14 ฿37.15

85.96%

Eggs

$5.06 £3.76

$1.93 ฿63.1

162.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 £8.89

$16.21 ฿530

-26.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.68

$3.12 ฿102

187.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 £13.31

$10.90 ฿356

64.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.42

$2.75 ฿90.0

18.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.21 ฿39.52

66.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$1.62 ฿53.0

98.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.50

$1.59 ฿51.8

111.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$1.40 ฿45.70

63.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.17 ฿38.17

74.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$0.66 ฿21.60

69.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$0.53 ฿17.22

173.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.41 £15.92

$4.69 ฿153

356.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 £8.30

$18.66 ฿609

-40.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.08

$1.80 ฿58.8

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.92

$3.23 ฿106

-19.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.47

$0.90 ฿29.26

268.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 £95.7

$19.21 ฿628

570.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 £3.37

$1.41 ฿45.91

221.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.63

$1.29 ฿42.12

70.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.41 £30.78

$7.84 ฿256

428.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.27 ฿41.58

55.12%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

77.47%

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

$42.0K £31.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

88.95%

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

$290 £216

$69.1 ฿2,256

319.94%

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

$18.36 £13.65

$14.08 ฿460

30.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.81 £30.34

$18.00 ฿588

126.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 £40.09

$41.06 ฿1,341

31.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 £13.97

$6.96 ฿227

170.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.52 £13.02

$5.92 ฿193

195.95%

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

$1,783 £1,325

$299 ฿9,766

496.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K £14.2K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

27.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 £68.8

$54.7 ฿1,787

69.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 £31.90

$26.77 ฿874

60.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$85.0 ฿2,776

27.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 £58.8

$70.6 ฿2,306

12.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 £1,359

$428 ฿14.0K

326.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 £1,162

$237 ฿7,752

558.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,247 £2,413

$801 ฿26.2K

305.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 £1,939

$515 ฿16.8K

405.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,819 £6,555

$1,975 ฿64.5K

346.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,240 £4,638

$1,475 ฿48.2K

323.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,476 £2,583

$617 ฿20.2K

462.90%

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 Brighton: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,828 in Brighton and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brighton pays 463% 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: $97.0 in Brighton vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 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

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

Brighton and Chiang Mai differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($2,937 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Brighton pays 463% 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: $1,828 in Brighton versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,783 in Brighton versus $299 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 Brighton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,937 in Brighton, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brighton. 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, Brighton 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 239% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.