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: $2,355 in Cardiff versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Cardiff versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Cardiff versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 173% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cardiff is 76% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 £14.90

$1.96 ฿65.7

922.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 £65.7

$18.35 ฿616

381.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £8.10

$7.48 ฿251

45.72%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.60

$2.02 ฿67.7

140.10%

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

$2.54 £1.89

$0.85 ฿28.45

198.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$0.36 ฿11.94

377.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.07

$2.14 ฿71.7

218.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$3.59 ฿121

73.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.65 ฿55.4

15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.57 ฿52.6

11.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$1.19 ฿39.95

154.62%

Eggs

$4.63 £3.44

$1.94 ฿65.0

138.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 £7.53

$16.19 ฿544

-37.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 £6.66

$2.99 ฿100

199.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 £6.86

$10.94 ฿367

-15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$2.71 ฿91.0

3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.17 ฿39.18

41.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.41

$1.69 ฿56.6

92.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 £4.27

$1.60 ฿53.9

259.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.38 ฿46.45

26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.20 ฿40.38

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$0.67 ฿22.46

76.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$0.56 ฿18.70

210.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 £14.49

$4.64 ฿156

320.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 £8.25

$17.62 ฿591

-37.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$1.86 ฿62.4

70.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.59

$3.30 ฿111

5.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 £2.35

$0.88 ฿29.63

257.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.9 £58.7

$19.34 ฿649

308.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 £2.99

$1.36 ฿45.82

196.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$1.34 ฿44.90

92.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.49 £15.23

$8.21 ฿276

149.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.22 ฿41.11

56.56%

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

$38.8K £28.8K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

81.61%

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

$54.4K £40.5K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

141.61%

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

$292 £217

$70.7 ฿2,372

313.13%

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

$20.13 £14.96

$14.04 ฿471

43.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £31.93

$17.49 ฿587

145.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 £29.42

$42.15 ฿1,415

-6.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 £6.36

$6.88 ฿231

24.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 £5.85

$5.92 ฿199

32.94%

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

$1,991 £1,480

$309 ฿10.4K

545.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K £25.2K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

127.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 £51.5

$55.8 ฿1,872

24.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 £27.37

$26.11 ฿877

40.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 £55.3

$83.0 ฿2,787

-10.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 £49.93

$70.5 ฿2,365

-4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 £975

$432 ฿14.5K

203.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 £835

$239 ฿8,020

370.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 £1,902

$822 ฿27.6K

211.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 £1,234

$512 ฿17.2K

224.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 £4,095

$1,915 ฿64.3K

187.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,517 £2,614

$1,467 ฿49.3K

139.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,316 £2,465

$579 ฿19.4K

472.30%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Cardiff and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 472% 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: $88.0 in Cardiff vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 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

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

Cardiff and Chiang Mai differ by about 173% in total monthly costs ($2,355 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 472% higher in Cardiff, 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: $1,311 in Cardiff 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 $88.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,355 per month in Cardiff versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,355 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 173% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.