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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,197 in Caernarfon versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,155 in Caernarfon versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,112 in Caernarfon versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Caernarfon is roughly 155% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caernarfon is 64% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.86 £10.32

$1.96 ฿65.8

607.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 £58.0

$18.35 ฿617

324.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.98

$7.48 ฿252

43.32%

Cappuccino

$4.09 £3.05

$2.02 ฿67.8

102.48%

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

$2.54 £1.89

$0.85 ฿28.50

198.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.32

$0.36 ฿11.96

394.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 £3.66

$2.14 ฿71.8

129.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 £3.09

$3.59 ฿121

15.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.65 ฿55.5

-7.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.57 ฿52.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.19 ฿40.02

89.08%

Eggs

$2.52 £1.88

$1.94 ฿65.1

29.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 £7.00

$16.19 ฿544

-41.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 £5.64

$2.99 ฿101

153.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 £8.71

$10.94 ฿368

6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 £2.01

$2.71 ฿91.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.17 ฿39.25

12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.69 ฿56.7

-17.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.60 ฿54.0

-16.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.38 ฿46.54

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.20 ฿40.45

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 £0.77

$0.67 ฿22.50

53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.99

$0.56 ฿18.73

135.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.04 £14.92

$4.64 ฿156

331.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 £7.07

$17.62 ฿593

-46.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 £2.07

$1.86 ฿62.5

49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 £2.54

$3.30 ฿111

3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 £2.47

$0.88 ฿29.68

276.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 £64.7

$19.34 ฿650

349.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 £4.03

$1.36 ฿45.90

297.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 £0.90

$1.34 ฿44.98

-8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.33 £15.14

$8.21 ฿276

147.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.22 ฿41.18

52.46%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

78.55%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

71.87%

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

$309 £230

$70.7 ฿2,376

336.69%

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

$18.83 £14.02

$14.04 ฿472

34.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.20 £29.93

$17.49 ฿588

129.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.57 £34.67

$42.15 ฿1,417

10.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 £8.56

$5.92 ฿199

94.26%

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

$1,247 £928

$309 ฿10.4K

304.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,835 £5,089

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-54.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 £57.1

$55.8 ฿1,875

37.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.90 £28.22

$26.11 ฿878

45.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 £62.6

$83.0 ฿2,792

1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 £61.4

$70.5 ฿2,369

17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 £902

$432 ฿14.5K

180.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 £732

$239 ฿8,035

311.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 £1,542

$822 ฿27.7K

151.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 £1,245

$512 ฿17.2K

226.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,594 £2,676

$579 ฿19.5K

520.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

6.00%

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

Last update for Caernarfon: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Caernarfon and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caernarfon pays 520% 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: $78.0 in Caernarfon vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 520% higher in Caernarfon, 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: $1,212 in Caernarfon versus $432 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 $18.00 versus $78.0 in Caernarfon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,197 per month in Caernarfon versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,197 in Caernarfon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Caernarfon. 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 Caernarfon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Caernarfon 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 155% less than in Caernarfon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.