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 $2,276 per month in Chesterfield vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,020 per month in Chesterfield vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,764 per month in Chesterfield vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chesterfield costs about 164% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chesterfield sits 70% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 £14.96

$1.96 ฿65.8

925.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 £59.9

$18.35 ฿617

338.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 £8.23

$7.48 ฿252

47.86%

Cappuccino

$4.47 £3.32

$2.02 ฿67.8

121.29%

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

$2.45 £1.83

$0.85 ฿28.50

188.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.36 ฿11.96

380.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 £4.02

$2.14 ฿71.8

152.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 £4.03

$3.59 ฿121

50.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.65 ฿55.5

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.57 ฿52.7

6.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 £1.69

$1.19 ฿40.02

90.76%

Eggs

$3.91 £2.91

$1.94 ฿65.1

101.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 £7.31

$16.19 ฿544

-39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 £6.21

$2.99 ฿101

178.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.90 £8.86

$10.94 ฿368

8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.71 ฿91.2

18.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.17 ฿39.25

23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 £2.02

$1.69 ฿56.7

60.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$1.60 ฿54.0

84.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.38 ฿46.54

30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.20 ฿40.45

13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 £0.74

$0.67 ฿22.50

49.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.44

$0.56 ฿18.73

244.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.55 £13.81

$4.64 ฿156

299.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 £8.54

$17.62 ฿593

-34.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 £2.02

$1.86 ฿62.5

46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$3.30 ฿111

-0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 £2.52

$0.88 ฿29.68

284.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 £65.8

$19.34 ฿650

356.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

$1.36 ฿45.90

290.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 £0.93

$1.34 ฿44.98

-7.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 £12.35

$8.21 ฿276

102.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.22 ฿41.18

53.28%

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

$39.2K £29.2K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

83.38%

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

$40.9K £30.4K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

81.38%

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

$297 £221

$70.7 ฿2,376

320.36%

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

$16.87 £12.56

$14.04 ฿472

20.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.89 £32.67

$17.49 ฿588

150.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.23 £33.67

$42.15 ฿1,417

7.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 £9.57

$5.92 ฿199

117.06%

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

$1,268 £944

$309 ฿10.4K

310.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,789 £5,055

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-54.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 £60.2

$55.8 ฿1,875

44.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.53 £32.41

$26.11 ฿878

66.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 £64.7

$83.0 ฿2,792

4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 £62.0

$70.5 ฿2,369

18.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 £908

$432 ฿14.5K

182.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$991 £738

$239 ฿8,035

314.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 £978

$822 ฿27.7K

59.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 £794

$512 ฿17.2K

108.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,908 £1,421

$579 ฿19.5K

229.33%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,219 in Chesterfield versus $432 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 229% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $243 – 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: $2,276 in Chesterfield, $861 in Chiang Mai – roughly 164% apart. Chesterfield costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,414 per month in Chesterfield and $1,292 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 20% 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 $18.00 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 $861, than in Chesterfield at $2,276. 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 $861 in Chiang Mai to $2,276 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.