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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Cardiff versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,441 in Cardiff versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Cardiff versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 180% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cardiff is 81% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 £15.13

$1.94 ฿63.6

946.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.5

$18.64 ฿609

364.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.99

$7.82 ฿256

37.08%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.48

$1.95 ฿63.9

139.49%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$0.85 ฿27.80

190.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.35 ฿11.60

388.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.03

$2.13 ฿69.7

217.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.64

$3.73 ฿122

66.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.71 ฿56.0

13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.63 ฿53.3

6.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 £2.23

$1.14 ฿37.18

162.28%

Eggs

$4.65 £3.46

$1.93 ฿63.2

140.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 £7.59

$16.21 ฿530

-37.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.69

$3.12 ฿102

187.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.14

$10.90 ฿356

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$2.75 ฿90.1

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.21 ฿39.56

32.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$1.62 ฿53.0

98.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 £4.18

$1.59 ฿51.9

253.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.40 ฿45.75

22.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.17 ฿38.20

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.85

$0.66 ฿21.62

72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$0.53 ฿17.24

213.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.98 £14.88

$4.69 ฿153

326.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.35

$18.66 ฿610

-39.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$1.80 ฿58.8

82.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.72

$3.23 ฿106

13.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 £2.35

$0.90 ฿29.28

251.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 £57.7

$19.21 ฿628

303.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 £3.10

$1.41 ฿45.96

195.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$1.29 ฿42.16

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 £15.10

$7.84 ฿256

158.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.27 ฿41.62

51.18%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$21.3K ฿695.5K

77.53%

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

$54.5K £40.6K

$22.2K ฿726.1K

145.35%

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

$294 £219

$69.1 ฿2,258

325.71%

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

$20.08 £14.95

$14.08 ฿460

42.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 £32.59

$18.00 ฿588

143.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 £28.83

$41.06 ฿1,342

-5.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 £6.34

$6.96 ฿227

22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 £5.71

$5.92 ฿193

29.56%

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

$1,987 £1,480

$299 ฿9,775

564.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K £25.1K

$15.0K ฿488.8K

125.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 £51.9

$54.7 ฿1,788

27.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.31 £27.04

$26.77 ฿875

35.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 £54.5

$85.0 ฿2,778

-13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 £49.40

$70.6 ฿2,308

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 £993

$428 ฿14.0K

211.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 £851

$237 ฿7,759

381.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 £1,890

$801 ฿26.2K

216.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 £1,235

$515 ฿16.9K

221.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,553 £4,136

$1,975 ฿64.5K

181.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,455 £2,573

$1,475 ฿48.2K

134.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,236 £2,410

$617 ฿20.2K

424.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.00%

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

Last update for Cardiff: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,333 in Cardiff and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 424% 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: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 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

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

Cardiff and Chiang Mai differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($2,422 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cardiff pays 424% 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: $1,333 in Cardiff 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 $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,422 per month in Cardiff versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 180% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,422 in Cardiff, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. 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, Cardiff 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 180% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.