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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,422 in Cardiff.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $3,441 in Cardiff.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $4,459 in Cardiff.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 64% less than in Cardiff, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 35% below, Cardiff is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$20.31 £15.13

-90.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$86.7 £64.5

-78.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$10.72 £7.99

-27.05%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$4.67 £3.48

-58.24%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$2.47 £1.84

-65.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$1.71 £1.27

-79.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$6.76 £5.03

-68.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$6.22 £4.64

-40.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.94 £1.44

-11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$1.73 £1.29

-5.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$2.99 £2.23

-61.87%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$4.65 £3.46

-58.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$10.18 £7.59

59.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$8.98 £6.69

-65.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$9.59 £7.14

13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.85 £2.13

-3.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$1.60 £1.19

-24.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$3.22 £2.40

-49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$5.62 £4.18

-71.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$1.71 £1.27

-18.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$1.53 £1.14

-23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$1.14 £0.85

-42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$1.66 £1.24

-68.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$19.98 £14.88

-76.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$11.21 £8.35

66.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$3.29 £2.45

-45.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.66 £2.72

-11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$3.16 £2.35

-71.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$77.5 £57.7

-75.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$4.16 £3.10

-66.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$2.58 £1.92

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$20.27 £15.10

-61.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.92 £1.43

-33.85%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$37.8K £28.1K

-43.67%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$54.5K £40.6K

-59.24%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$294 £219

-76.51%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$20.08 £14.95

-29.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$43.76 £32.59

-58.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$38.71 £28.83

6.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$8.51 £6.34

-18.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$7.67 £5.71

-22.82%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$1,987 £1,480

-84.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$33.6K £25.1K

-55.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$69.7 £51.9

-21.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$36.31 £27.04

-26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$73.2 £54.5

16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$66.3 £49.40

6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$1,333 £993

-67.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$1,142 £851

-79.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$2,538 £1,890

-68.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$1,658 £1,235

-68.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$5,553 £4,136

-64.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$3,455 £2,573

-57.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$3,236 £2,410

-80.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-16.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cardiff: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $1,333 in Cardiff. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 424% 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 $87.0 in Cardiff for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $315 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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 Cardiff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Cardiff differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $2,422 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cardiff earns 424% 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 $1,333 in Cardiff. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $866 per month in Chiang Mai versus $2,422 in Cardiff – a 180% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,422 in Cardiff, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cardiff 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 180% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.