Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Annan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,454 in Annan, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Annan
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,454
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,454 in Annan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $925
  • Annan $2,454

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,569 in Annan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,414
  • Annan $3,569

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,683 in Annan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,903
  • Annan $4,683

Chiang Mai is about 62% cheaper than Annan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Annan is 81% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿76.5
$17.01 £12.76
-86.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.64 ฿656
$70.2 £52.7
-72.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ฿188
$9.31 £6.99
-39.74%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$3.59 £2.69
-53.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.40
$2.38 £1.78
-70.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.24
$1.95 £1.46
-84.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿80.4
$4.74 £3.56
-49.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 ฿124
$4.19 £3.14
-11.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$1.29 £0.97
51.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.03
$1.11 £0.83
27.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.62
$2.03 £1.52
-35.47%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿72.9
$3.62 £2.72
-39.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.65 ฿556
$7.91 £5.93
110.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿92.2
$7.13 £5.35
-61.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 ฿304
$12.84 £9.63
-29.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 ฿80.0
$3.16 £2.37
-24.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.26
$2.85 £2.14
-63.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$3.49 £2.62
-53.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.0
$3.73 £2.80
-59.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ฿43.13
$1.74 £1.30
-25.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.03
$1.74 £1.31
-36.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.08
$1.21 £0.91
-40.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿17.59
$1.98 £1.49
-73.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 ฿144
$17.46 £13.10
-75.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿600
$9.13 £6.85
96.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 ฿52.9
$4.98 £3.74
-68.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.0
$3.69 £2.77
-23.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.86
$3.87 £2.91
-77.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$95.3 £71.5
-44.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.29
$4.22 £3.17
-71.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿18.99
$2.29 £1.72
-75.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿78.6
$33.66 £25.25
-93.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ฿47.96
$2.01 £1.51
-28.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K ฿692.8K
$37.8K £28.3K
-45.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.7K
$40.8K £30.6K
-34.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$348 £261
-82.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 ฿405
$25.30 £18.98
-52.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 ฿666
$45.70 £34.28
-56.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.07 ฿1,239
$42.96 £32.23
-13.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.78 ฿126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 ฿217
$16.98 £12.74
-61.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$793 ฿26.5K
$821 £616
-3.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿494.9K
$25.5K £19.2K
-42.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,796
$110 £82.8
-51.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.62 ฿823
$55.2 £41.44
-55.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ฿3,036
$112 £84.1
-18.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 ฿2,378
$112 £84.3
-36.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ฿15.2K
$1,207 £906
-62.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿9,954
$1,102 £827
-72.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 ฿30.4K
$2,384 £1,789
-61.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 ฿18.5K
$1,891 £1,419
-70.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿64.5K
$5,001 £3,752
-61.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 ฿48.3K
$3,671 £2,754
-60.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Annan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 ฿19.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.53
0.72%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Annan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$298
Annan
$1.1K 270% $804
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$235
Annan
$298 26.5% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Annan
$176 62.3% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Annan
$419 344% $325
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Annan
$256 226% $178
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Annan
$126 108% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Annan
$77 53.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $1,207 in Annan. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $70.0 in Annan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $298 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇬🇧 Annan
🕒 Local time
21:54 9:54 PM
15:54 3:54 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
9,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Annan 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Annan

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
Chiang Mai vs Annan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Chiang Mai and in Annan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai, $2,454 in Annan – roughly 165% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Chiang Mai compared to Annan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,682 in Annan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Chiang Mai and Annan?
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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Chiang Mai and Annan?
Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $821 in Annan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Annan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Annan at $2,454. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Annan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Chiang Mai and Annan?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $925 in Chiang Mai to $2,454 in Annan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Chiang Mai or Annan safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Chiang Mai and Annan?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Annan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?