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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,247 in Buckingham versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,448 in Buckingham versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,650 in Buckingham versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Buckingham is roughly 159% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buckingham is 68% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.15

$1.94 ฿63.5

948.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.4

$18.64 ฿609

341.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 £8.21

$7.82 ฿255

40.92%

Cappuccino

$4.75 £3.54

$1.95 ฿63.8

143.59%

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

$1.91 £1.42

$0.85 ฿27.77

124.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.03

$0.35 ฿11.58

297.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 £4.06

$2.13 ฿69.6

155.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 £3.96

$3.73 ฿122

42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 £0.86

$1.71 ฿56.0

-32.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.63 ฿53.2

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.14 ฿37.15

85.09%

Eggs

$4.28 £3.19

$1.93 ฿63.1

121.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 £7.53

$16.21 ฿530

-37.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.29 £5.43

$3.12 ฿102

133.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 £11.42

$10.90 ฿356

40.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$2.75 ฿90.0

18.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.21 ฿39.52

42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.17

$1.62 ฿53.0

79.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 £1.87

$1.59 ฿51.8

57.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 £0.68

$1.40 ฿45.70

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.17 ฿38.17

42.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$0.66 ฿21.60

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.19

$0.53 ฿17.22

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.04 £11.95

$4.69 ฿153

242.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 £8.00

$18.66 ฿609

-42.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.96

$1.80 ฿58.8

46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.49

$3.23 ฿106

-38.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.05

$0.90 ฿29.26

206.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 £65.9

$19.21 ฿628

360.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 £2.98

$1.41 ฿45.91

183.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.29 ฿42.12

4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.97 £19.35

$7.84 ฿256

231.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.27 ฿41.58

55.12%

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

$39.1K £29.1K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

83.78%

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

$41.9K £31.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

88.69%

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

$263 £196

$69.1 ฿2,256

281.09%

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

$17.15 £12.77

$14.08 ฿460

21.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.65 £26.56

$18.00 ฿588

98.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.67 £10.18

$41.06 ฿1,341

-66.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 £9.09

$5.92 ฿193

105.91%

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

$1,410 £1,050

$299 ฿9,766

371.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K £10.3K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-7.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 £55.3

$54.7 ฿1,787

35.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 £26.91

$26.77 ฿874

34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 £52.5

$85.0 ฿2,776

-17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 £68.6

$70.6 ฿2,306

30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 £1,095

$428 ฿14.0K

243.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 £783

$237 ฿7,752

342.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,406 £2,538

$801 ฿26.2K

325.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 £1,522

$515 ฿16.8K

296.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,938 £3,679

$1,975 ฿64.5K

150.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,608 £3,433

$617 ฿20.2K

646.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.79

15.80%

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

Last update for Buckingham: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Buckingham and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 646% 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: $82.0 in Buckingham vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 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

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

Buckingham and Chiang Mai differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,247 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buckingham pays 646% 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: $1,470 in Buckingham versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,247 per month in Buckingham versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 159% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 360% less than in Buckingham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,247 in Buckingham, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Buckingham. 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, Buckingham 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 159% less than in Buckingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.