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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Burnley versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,850 in Burnley versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,895 in Burnley versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burnley is roughly 108% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 £15.12

$1.94 ฿63.5

946.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 £60.3

$18.64 ฿609

334.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 £6.44

$7.82 ฿255

10.61%

Cappuccino

$4.10 £3.05

$1.95 ฿63.8

110.26%

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

$2.27 £1.69

$0.85 ฿27.77

167.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.20

$0.35 ฿11.58

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 £2.59

$2.13 ฿69.6

63.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 £4.13

$3.73 ฿122

48.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.71 ฿56.0

-8.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.63 ฿53.2

1.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.14 ฿37.15

41.23%

Eggs

$3.54 £2.64

$1.93 ฿63.1

83.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 £6.01

$16.21 ฿530

-50.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 £6.20

$3.12 ฿102

166.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 £10.21

$10.90 ฿356

25.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.75 ฿90.0

-11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.21 ฿39.52

14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.62 ฿53.0

2.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$1.59 ฿51.8

69.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.40 ฿45.70

22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.17 ฿38.17

35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.99

$0.66 ฿21.60

101.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 £0.88

$0.53 ฿17.22

124.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.22 £12.83

$4.69 ฿153

267.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.17

$18.66 ฿609

-41.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.10

$1.80 ฿58.8

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$3.23 ฿106

-41.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 £2.12

$0.90 ฿29.26

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £79.9

$19.21 ฿628

457.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 £2.49

$1.41 ฿45.91

136.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 £0.83

$1.29 ฿42.12

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 £12.28

$7.84 ฿256

110.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.27 ฿41.58

52.76%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

79.29%

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

$40.7K £30.4K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

83.45%

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

$275 £205

$69.1 ฿2,256

298.83%

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

$17.28 £12.88

$14.08 ฿460

22.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 £32.51

$18.00 ฿588

142.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.84 £34.15

$41.06 ฿1,341

11.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 £12.61

$6.96 ฿227

143.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 £5.85

$5.92 ฿193

32.77%

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

$1,565 £1,166

$299 ฿9,766

423.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,898 £5,139

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-53.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 £59.5

$54.7 ฿1,787

46.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.20 £32.18

$26.77 ฿874

61.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 £64.3

$85.0 ฿2,776

1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 £54.0

$70.6 ฿2,306

2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 £572

$428 ฿14.0K

79.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 £476

$237 ฿7,752

169.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 £1,116

$801 ฿26.2K

86.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 £942

$515 ฿16.8K

145.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,187 £2,374

$617 ฿20.2K

416.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

12.00%

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

Last update for Burnley: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Burnley and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnley pays 416% 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 Burnley vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Burnley pays 416% 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: $768 in Burnley versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $81.0 in Burnley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,804 per month in Burnley versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,804 in Burnley, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Burnley. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Burnley, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Burnley 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 108% less than in Burnley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.