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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,845 per month in Chatham vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,907 per month in Chatham vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,968 per month in Chatham vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chatham costs about 228% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chatham sits 112% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.49 £20.43

$1.94 ฿63.5

1317.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 £71.1

$18.64 ฿609

412.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 £7.05

$7.82 ฿255

21.23%

Cappuccino

$3.43 £2.55

$1.95 ฿63.8

75.90%

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

$3.43 £2.55

$0.85 ฿27.77

303.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$0.35 ฿11.58

294.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 £4.97

$2.13 ฿69.6

213.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.13

$3.73 ฿122

84.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.71 ฿56.0

-16.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.63 ฿53.2

-15.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.98

$1.14 ฿37.15

133.33%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$1.93 ฿63.1

87.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 £7.34

$16.21 ฿530

-39.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 £5.89

$3.12 ฿102

154.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 £9.70

$10.90 ฿356

19.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$2.75 ฿90.0

10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.21 ฿39.52

28.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.14

$1.62 ฿53.0

78.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$1.59 ฿51.8

105.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.40 ฿45.70

1.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.17 ฿38.17

18.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$0.66 ฿21.60

42.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.53 ฿17.22

188.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.72 £10.94

$4.69 ฿153

213.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.07

$18.66 ฿609

-27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 £1.75

$1.80 ฿58.8

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.47

$3.23 ฿106

3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 £2.06

$0.90 ฿29.26

207.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 £65.3

$19.21 ฿628

357.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 £4.46

$1.41 ฿45.91

325.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.29 ฿42.12

35.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 £11.13

$7.84 ฿256

90.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.27 ฿41.58

46.46%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

82.52%

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

$41.9K £31.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

88.68%

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

$228 £170

$69.1 ฿2,256

230.72%

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

$19.32 £14.36

$14.08 ฿460

37.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.67 £33.21

$18.00 ฿588

148.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.54 £35.34

$41.06 ฿1,341

15.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 £10.16

$5.92 ฿193

130.91%

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

$1,319 £980

$299 ฿9,766

341.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.1K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

71.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 £61.2

$54.7 ฿1,787

50.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 £36.87

$26.77 ฿874

85.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.1

$85.0 ฿2,776

28.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £74.4

$70.6 ฿2,306

41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,217

$428 ฿14.0K

282.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 £1,144

$237 ฿7,752

548.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 £1,876

$801 ฿26.2K

214.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 £1,619

$515 ฿16.8K

322.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,097 £6,018

$1,975 ฿64.5K

310.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,372 £5,479

$1,475 ฿48.2K

399.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,607 £1,938

$617 ฿20.2K

322.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

10.60%

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

Last update for Chatham: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,637 in Chatham versus $428 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.

Salaries run about 322% higher in Chatham, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Chatham versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Chatham costs about 228% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,268 per month in Chatham and $1,300 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,845 in Chatham and $866 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 357% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Chatham at $2,845. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chatham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $2,845 in Chatham. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Chatham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.