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 $3,016 per month in Chatham vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,125 per month in Chatham vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in Chatham vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chatham costs about 218% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chatham sits 119% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.51 £17.40

$2.08 ฿68.5

1030.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 £69.9

$19.64 ฿646

380.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 £7.45

$5.65 ฿186

78.23%

Cappuccino

$3.62 £2.68

$1.81 ฿59.3

100.00%

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

$3.10 £2.29

$0.71 ฿23.44

336.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.28

$0.32 ฿10.38

440.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.29 £4.65

$2.24 ฿73.5

180.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.06

$3.63 ฿119

88.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.96 ฿64.4

-0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.50 ฿49.38

38.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$1.34 ฿43.92

64.93%

Eggs

$4.13 £3.06

$2.26 ฿74.4

82.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 £8.00

$16.26 ฿534

-33.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 £6.86

$2.95 ฿97.1

214.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 £11.50

$9.94 ฿327

56.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.26

$2.57 ฿84.5

18.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.06 ฿34.72

90.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 £2.05

$1.61 ฿53.0

72.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 £2.86

$1.52 ฿49.96

153.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.27 ฿41.76

60.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.07 ฿35.05

72.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$0.72 ฿23.67

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$0.51 ฿16.72

245.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.35 £16.53

$4.19 ฿138

433.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 £8.44

$17.87 ฿587

-36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$1.69 ฿55.7

84.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 £1.78

$2.84 ฿93.2

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 £2.97

$0.93 ฿30.42

331.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 £50.3

$53.9 ฿1,770

26.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 £3.71

$1.23 ฿40.58

307.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 £2.06

$0.58 ฿18.96

381.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 £14.87

$2.42 ฿79.7

730.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.43

$1.41 ฿46.42

37.59%

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

$38.5K £28.5K

$21.4K ฿704.9K

79.69%

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

$37.3K £27.6K

$27.3K ฿898.5K

36.46%

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

$286 £211

$63.7 ฿2,093

348.58%

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

$16.92 £12.52

$12.85 ฿423

31.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.58 £20.41

$20.22 ฿665

36.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 £89.3

$38.74 ฿1,274

211.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.53 £7.05

$3.97 ฿130

140.05%

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 £13.38

$6.74 ฿221

168.40%

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

$2,131 £1,577

$778 ฿25.6K

173.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K £23.1K

$14.6K ฿480.2K

113.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 £69.1

$54.3 ฿1,785

71.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.64 £33.76

$25.45 ฿836

79.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.0

$94.3 ฿3,101

11.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 £67.6

$73.4 ฿2,414

24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 £1,509

$490 ฿16.1K

316.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 £1,207

$289 ฿9,510

463.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,511 £1,857

$894 ฿29.4K

180.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 £1,608

$517 ฿17.0K

320.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,018 £5,931

$1,955 ฿64.3K

310.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,586 £5,612

$1,477 ฿48.5K

413.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,017 £2,232

$602 ฿19.8K

401.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

5.57

-8.08%

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

Last update for Chatham: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,040 in Chatham versus $490 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 401% 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 $94.0 in Chatham versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $240 – 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 218% 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 $4,524 per month in Chatham and $1,421 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 $3,016 in Chatham and $947 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 26% 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 $947, than in Chatham at $3,016. 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 $947 versus $3,016 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.