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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,261 per month in Chesterfield vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,049 per month in Chesterfield vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,838 per month in Chesterfield vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chesterfield costs about 161% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chesterfield sits 69% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 £15.47

$1.94 ฿63.6

970.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 £59.7

$18.64 ฿609

329.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 £8.25

$7.82 ฿256

41.69%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.44

$1.95 ฿63.9

136.41%

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

$2.50 £1.86

$0.85 ฿27.80

194.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.33

$0.35 ฿11.60

408.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 £4.17

$2.13 ฿69.7

162.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 £4.09

$3.73 ฿122

47.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.71 ฿56.0

-4.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.63 ฿53.3

5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 £1.68

$1.14 ฿37.18

98.25%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.93

$1.93 ฿63.2

103.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 £7.18

$16.21 ฿530

-40.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 £6.05

$3.12 ฿102

160.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 £8.94

$10.90 ฿356

10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 £2.39

$2.75 ฿90.1

16.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.21 ฿39.56

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$1.62 ฿53.0

66.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 £2.23

$1.59 ฿51.9

88.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.40 ฿45.75

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.17 ฿38.20

19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$0.66 ฿21.62

57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$0.53 ฿17.24

249.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.06 £13.45

$4.69 ฿153

285.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 £8.64

$18.66 ฿610

-37.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.03

$1.80 ฿58.8

51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.23 ฿106

3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$0.90 ฿29.28

270.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 £65.0

$19.21 ฿628

354.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.02

$1.41 ฿45.96

282.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.29 ฿42.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 £12.18

$7.84 ฿256

108.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.27 ฿41.62

47.24%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$21.3K ฿695.5K

79.63%

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

$40.9K £30.5K

$22.2K ฿726.1K

84.13%

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

$296 £221

$69.1 ฿2,258

329.07%

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

$17.40 £12.96

$14.08 ฿460

23.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 £32.26

$18.00 ฿588

140.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 £34.31

$41.06 ฿1,342

12.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 £9.79

$5.92 ฿193

121.96%

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

$1,230 £916

$299 ฿9,775

311.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,878 £5,123

$15.0K ฿488.8K

-54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 £59.6

$54.7 ฿1,788

46.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 £32.17

$26.77 ฿875

61.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 £64.3

$85.0 ฿2,778

1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 £61.4

$70.6 ฿2,308

16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 £928

$428 ฿14.0K

191.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 £751

$237 ฿7,759

324.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 £985

$801 ฿26.2K

64.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 £818

$515 ฿16.9K

113.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,204 £2,386

$617 ฿20.2K

418.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

12.00%

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

Last update for Chesterfield: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,246 in Chesterfield 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 419% higher in Chesterfield, 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 $80.0 in Chesterfield versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,261 in Chesterfield, $866 in Chiang Mai – roughly 161% apart. Chesterfield costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,391 per month in Chesterfield 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.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Chesterfield, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Chesterfield 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 $866, than in Chesterfield at $2,261. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chesterfield it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Chiang Mai to $2,261 in Chesterfield. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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