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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,165 per month in Cambridge vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,481 per month in Cambridge vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,797 per month in Cambridge vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cambridge costs about 268% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cambridge sits 137% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.66 £20.56

$1.96 ฿65.7

1311.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 £71.1

$18.35 ฿616

421.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.97

$7.48 ฿251

43.32%

Cappuccino

$4.93 £3.66

$2.02 ฿67.7

144.06%

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

$2.80 £2.08

$0.85 ฿28.45

229.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$0.36 ฿11.94

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 £6.17

$2.14 ฿71.7

287.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.24 £6.13

$3.59 ฿121

129.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.65 ฿55.4

14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.57 ฿52.6

43.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 £2.18

$1.19 ฿39.95

147.06%

Eggs

$4.61 £3.43

$1.94 ฿65.0

137.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 £9.21

$16.19 ฿544

-23.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 £7.68

$2.99 ฿100

245.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 £13.55

$10.94 ฿367

66.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$2.71 ฿91.0

22.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.17 ฿39.18

67.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 £2.67

$1.69 ฿56.6

113.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.73

$1.60 ฿53.9

129.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.38 ฿46.45

36.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.20 ฿40.38

71.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.98

$0.67 ฿22.46

97.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 £1.15

$0.56 ฿18.70

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.01 £14.88

$4.64 ฿156

331.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.14

$17.62 ฿591

-37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$1.86 ฿62.4

87.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 £3.14

$3.30 ฿111

28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 £1.98

$0.88 ฿29.63

202.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.0 £60.2

$19.34 ฿649

318.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 £4.92

$1.36 ฿45.82

386.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 £1.82

$1.34 ฿44.90

82.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.2 £41.06

$8.21 ฿276

572.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.22 ฿41.11

57.38%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

82.22%

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

$43.9K £32.7K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

95.03%

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

$338 £251

$70.7 ฿2,372

377.81%

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

$15.78 £11.73

$14.04 ฿471

12.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.86 £29.63

$17.49 ฿587

127.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 £55.1

$42.15 ฿1,415

75.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.91 £11.08

$6.88 ฿231

116.72%

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 £12.04

$5.92 ฿199

173.65%

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

$2,277 £1,692

$309 ฿10.4K

637.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.4K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

57.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 £65.0

$55.8 ฿1,872

56.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 £41.28

$26.11 ฿877

112.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 £63.6

$83.0 ฿2,787

3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 £92.1

$70.5 ฿2,365

75.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,412

$432 ฿14.5K

339.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 £1,204

$239 ฿8,020

578.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 £2,618

$822 ฿27.6K

328.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 £1,901

$512 ฿17.2K

399.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,013 £6,701

$1,915 ฿64.3K

370.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,024 £4,478

$1,467 ฿49.3K

310.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,419 £3,285

$579 ฿19.4K

662.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.80%

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

Last update for Cambridge: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,899 in Cambridge versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 663% higher in Cambridge, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cambridge versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 268%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,748 per month in Cambridge and $1,292 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cambridge and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,165 in Cambridge and $861 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Cambridge at $3,165. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cambridge it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cambridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.