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: $2,489 in Cardiff versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,431 in Cardiff versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,374 in Cardiff versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 163% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cardiff is 81% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 £15.18

$2.08 ฿69.2

884.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £64.8

$19.64 ฿651

345.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.20

$5.65 ฿188

95.58%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.50

$1.81 ฿59.9

160.77%

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

$3.19 £2.37

$0.71 ฿23.66

349.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.52

$0.32 ฿10.48

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 £5.84

$2.24 ฿74.2

251.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 £4.42

$3.63 ฿121

64.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.96 ฿65.0

-8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.50 ฿49.83

1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$1.34 ฿44.32

64.18%

Eggs

$3.76 £2.79

$2.26 ฿75.1

66.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 £7.25

$16.26 ฿539

-39.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 £6.40

$2.95 ฿98.0

192.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 £10.63

$9.94 ฿330

44.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$2.57 ฿85.3

10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.06 ฿35.04

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$1.61 ฿53.5

90.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$1.52 ฿50.4

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.27 ฿42.14

52.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.07 ฿35.37

42.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$0.72 ฿23.89

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$0.51 ฿16.87

182.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.77 £16.89

$4.19 ฿139

443.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 £8.46

$17.87 ฿593

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$1.69 ฿56.2

84.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$2.84 ฿94.1

13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.41

$0.93 ฿30.70

249.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 £60.3

$53.9 ฿1,787

50.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 £3.49

$1.23 ฿40.95

282.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.58 ฿19.13

193.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.79 £27.29

$2.42 ฿80.4

1420.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.56

$1.41 ฿46.84

49.65%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

82.13%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

49.15%

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

$314 £233

$63.7 ฿2,112

393.67%

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

$26.23 £19.46

$12.85 ฿426

104.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.23 £34.29

$20.22 ฿671

128.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 £25.11

$38.74 ฿1,285

-12.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 £8.93

$3.97 ฿132

203.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 £7.94

$6.74 ฿223

58.75%

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

$2,028 £1,504

$778 ฿25.8K

160.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K £24.5K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

125.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 £72.9

$54.3 ฿1,801

81.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.02 £36.36

$25.45 ฿844

92.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £86.9

$94.3 ฿3,129

24.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £73.9

$73.4 ฿2,436

35.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 £910

$490 ฿16.2K

150.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 £821

$289 ฿9,596

282.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 £1,634

$894 ฿29.6K

146.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 £1,147

$517 ฿17.1K

199.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,566 £4,128

$1,955 ฿64.9K

184.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 £2,633

$1,477 ฿49.0K

140.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 £2,434

$602 ฿20.0K

445.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.57

-8.26%

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

Last update for Cardiff: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,227 in Cardiff and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 445% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $240 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,489 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 445% 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: $1,227 in Cardiff versus $490 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 $20.00 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,489 per month in Cardiff versus $947 in Chiang Mai – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $2,489 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 163% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.