Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castel and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,393 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,393

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castel and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Castel and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,393 per month in Castel vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Castel $2,393
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,776 per month in Castel vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Castel $3,776
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,160 per month in Castel vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Castel $5,160
Chiang Mai $1,914

Castel costs about 155% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Castel sits 77% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$39.40 GGP 29.59

$2.26 ฿75.4

1643.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 GGP 59.1

$19.18 ฿641

310.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$4.83 GGP 3.62

$1.72 ฿57.6

180.81%

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

$3.24 GGP 2.44

$0.64 ฿21.54

406.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 GGP 2.92

$0.33 ฿11.18

1078.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 GGP 3.15

$2.36 ฿78.7

77.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 GGP 4.87

$3.90 ฿130

66.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 GGP 1.52

$2.05 ฿68.6

-1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 GGP 1.68

$1.45 ฿48.32

54.48%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$26.89 GGP 20.19

$12.27 ฿410

119.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 GGP 49.80

$19.97 ฿668

232.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 GGP 1,509

$464 ฿15.5K

332.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 GGP 1,385

$305 ฿10.2K

505.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,929 GGP 2,950

$915 ฿30.6K

329.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,668 GGP 2,755

$552 ฿18.5K

564.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Castel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Castel

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Castel

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Castel

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castel

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Castel

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Castel

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Castel

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,009 in Castel versus $464 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Castel versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $20.00 in Castel vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Castel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇬 Castel

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

6 h ahead of Castel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Guernsey Pound GGP £

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 GGP = 1.33 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GGP – Guernsey Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇬 Guernsey Pound (£)

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.751 GGP (1 GGP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.844 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to GGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castel Chiang Mai 9,230 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Castel
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Castel is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,589 per month in Castel and $1,408 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1078% cheaper in Castel – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Castel and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Castel at $2,393. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castel 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, Castel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.