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: $2,268 in Buckingham versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Buckingham versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,643 in Buckingham versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Buckingham is roughly 163% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buckingham is 70% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 £14.96

$1.96 ฿65.8

925.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.4

$18.35 ฿617

349.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 £8.14

$7.48 ฿252

46.26%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.43

$2.02 ฿67.8

128.22%

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

$1.98 £1.48

$0.85 ฿28.50

132.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$0.36 ฿11.96

272.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 £4.15

$2.14 ฿71.8

160.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 £3.99

$3.59 ฿121

49.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.65 ฿55.5

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.57 ฿52.7

-1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$1.19 ฿40.02

78.15%

Eggs

$4.24 £3.16

$1.94 ฿65.1

118.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 £7.51

$16.19 ฿544

-37.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 £5.38

$2.99 ฿101

141.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.57 £11.59

$10.94 ฿368

42.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.44

$2.71 ฿91.2

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.17 ฿39.25

46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$1.69 ฿56.7

65.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 £1.91

$1.60 ฿54.0

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.38 ฿46.54

-28.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.20 ฿40.45

45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 £0.81

$0.67 ฿22.50

62.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$0.56 ฿18.73

183.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 £12.20

$4.64 ฿156

253.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 £8.18

$17.62 ฿593

-37.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.95

$1.86 ฿62.5

40.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.48

$3.30 ฿111

-39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$0.88 ฿29.68

201.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 £66.7

$19.34 ฿650

362.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 £3.11

$1.36 ฿45.90

207.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.34 ฿44.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.18 £18.74

$8.21 ฿276

206.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.22 ฿41.18

61.48%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

79.69%

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

$42.3K £31.5K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

87.84%

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

$260 £194

$70.7 ฿2,376

268.20%

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

$17.71 £13.19

$14.04 ฿472

26.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.37 £26.33

$17.49 ฿588

102.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.41 £9.98

$42.15 ฿1,417

-68.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 £9.07

$5.92 ฿199

105.74%

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

$1,410 £1,049

$309 ฿10.4K

356.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K £10.0K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-9.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 £56.2

$55.8 ฿1,875

35.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.25 £26.99

$26.11 ฿878

38.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 £52.6

$83.0 ฿2,792

-14.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 £67.4

$70.5 ฿2,369

28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 £1,102

$432 ฿14.5K

242.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 £789

$239 ฿8,035

343.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,422 £2,548

$822 ฿27.7K

316.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 £1,534

$512 ฿17.2K

302.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,701 £4,244

$1,915 ฿64.4K

197.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,514 £3,360

$579 ฿19.5K

679.08%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,481 in Buckingham and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 679% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 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

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

Buckingham and Chiang Mai differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($2,268 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 679% higher in Buckingham, 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: $1,481 in Buckingham versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Buckingham versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 363% less than in Buckingham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,268 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 163% less than in Buckingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.