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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,415 in Carmarthen versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,286 in Carmarthen versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,157 in Carmarthen versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Carmarthen is roughly 159% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carmarthen is 77% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.74 £17.74

$2.08 ฿69.5

1041.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 £49.60

$19.61 ฿655

238.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 £7.27

$5.67 ฿189

71.60%

Cappuccino

$3.49 £2.60

$1.81 ฿60.3

92.82%

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

$2.57 £1.92

$0.77 ฿25.65

233.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$0.35 ฿11.53

374.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 £4.04

$2.21 ฿73.9

144.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 £3.46

$3.79 ฿127

21.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.05 ฿68.4

-16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 £0.86

$1.51 ฿50.6

-23.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 £2.28

$1.40 ฿46.69

117.14%

Eggs

$4.78 £3.57

$2.26 ฿75.4

111.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 £10.04

$16.19 ฿540

-16.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 £8.11

$2.90 ฿96.7

274.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.09 £12.77

$9.42 ฿314

81.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 £3.65

$2.68 ฿89.4

82.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 £2.02

$1.09 ฿36.37

148.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 £3.69

$1.62 ฿54.0

204.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.98 £4.47

$1.46 ฿48.74

309.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 £1.58

$1.28 ฿42.65

64.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.06 ฿35.31

64.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 £1.41

$0.72 ฿23.94

162.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.48

$0.53 ฿17.56

273.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.26 £18.13

$4.23 ฿141

473.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 £8.73

$18.29 ฿611

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.05 £3.03

$1.63 ฿54.4

148.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.39

$2.90 ฿96.8

10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 £3.43

$0.88 ฿29.32

421.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 £69.7

$53.8 ฿1,795

73.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 £4.67

$1.17 ฿39.14

433.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 £1.61

$0.58 ฿19.30

270.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.86 £20.07

$2.39 ฿79.6

1023.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.42

$1.45 ฿48.41

30.34%

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

$39.2K £29.3K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

86.45%

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

$41.9K £31.3K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

58.48%

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

$303 £227

$63.7 ฿2,125

376.45%

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

$17.07 £12.76

$12.89 ฿430

32.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.76

$20.52 ฿685

113.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.68 £35.63

$39.02 ฿1,302

22.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$20.14 £15.05

$6.58 ฿220

206.08%

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

$1,665 £1,244

$784 ฿26.2K

112.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K £16.8K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

53.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 £63.5

$55.1 ฿1,840

54.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.72 £23.70

$24.74 ฿826

28.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.3

$94.1 ฿3,142

8.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 £64.5

$74.0 ฿2,469

16.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 £945

$490 ฿16.4K

157.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 £782

$288 ฿9,620

263.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 £961

$891 ฿29.8K

44.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 £806

$521 ฿17.4K

107.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,162 £3,857

$1,974 ฿65.9K

161.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,001 £2,990

$1,444 ฿48.2K

177.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,070 £1,547

$602 ฿20.1K

244.04%

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 Carmarthen: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Carmarthen and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carmarthen pays 244% 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: $66.0 in Carmarthen vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $241 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

Carmarthen 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 159% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 244% higher in Carmarthen, 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: $1,264 in Carmarthen versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Carmarthen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $66.0 in Carmarthen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,415 in Carmarthen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Carmarthen. 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 Carmarthen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Carmarthen 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 159% less than in Carmarthen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.