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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $918 in Brackenfell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,400 in Brackenfell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $1,883 in Brackenfell.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 6% less than in Brackenfell, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Brackenfell 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$8.64 R 141

-77.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$22.76 R 372

-18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$4.97 R 81.2

57.34%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$2.06 R 33.71

-5.34%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$1.01 R 16.44

-15.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.88 R 14.45

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$2.25 R 36.84

-5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.28 R 37.27

63.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.01 R 16.49

69.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$1.01 R 16.48

61.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$1.92 R 31.35

-40.63%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$2.38 R 38.86

-18.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$8.72 R 143

85.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.36 R 54.9

-7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$7.62 R 125

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.30 R 21.26

111.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$1.41 R 23.09

-14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.51 R 24.63

7.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$1.54 R 25.16

3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$1.09 R 17.76

28.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$1.10 R 17.97

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$1.04 R 17.04

-36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.87 R 14.20

-39.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.07 R 50.1

52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$4.26 R 69.6

338.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.37 R 22.40

31.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.15 R 18.78

180.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$1.69 R 27.59

-46.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$1.41 R 23.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.84 R 13.71

53.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$4.46 R 72.9

75.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.21 R 19.73

4.96%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$13.9K R 228.0K

52.58%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$19.3K R 315.1K

15.23%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$63.5 R 1,038

8.81%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$33.17 R 542

-57.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$41.45 R 678

-56.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$31.23 R 511

31.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$6.87 R 112

-13.83%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$143 R 2,335

109.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$5,317 R 86.9K

181.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$44.94 R 735

21.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$25.14 R 411

6.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$68.5 R 1,120

24.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$35.99 R 588

96.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$365 R 5,968

17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$338 R 5,531

-29.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$682 R 11.1K

17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$689 R 11.3K

-25.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$907 R 14.8K

117.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$712 R 11.6K

107.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$1,852 R 30.3K

-66.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

-57.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brackenfell: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $365 in Brackenfell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brackenfell pays 200% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $23.00 in Brackenfell. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $170, with Brackenfell cheaper for home cooking.

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 Brackenfell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Brackenfell. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Brackenfell earns 200% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $365 in Brackenfell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $143 in Brackenfell. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $23.00 in Brackenfell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chiang Mai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Brackenfell are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Brackenfell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.