Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and East London

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $978 in East London, rent and utilities included – about $520 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in East London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in East London

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 East London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $978 in East London, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
East London $978

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,499 in East London, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
East London $1,499

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,020 in East London, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
East London $2,020

Chiang Mai is about 4% cheaper than East London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and East London are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, East London 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$7.97 R 133

-73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$33.73 R 562

-44.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.09 R 84.8

10.02%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.05 R 34.11

-19.02%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$1.01 R 16.76

-35.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.72 R 12.08

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$2.65 R 44.16

-12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.11 R 51.8

18.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.12 R 18.63

80.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$0.91 R 15.15

54.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.46 R 24.27

-4.79%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.35 R 39.11

0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$8.42 R 140

96.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$5.20 R 86.7

-48.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$7.93 R 132

13.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.74 R 29.04

37.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.52 R 25.27

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.62 R 26.96

2.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.57 R 26.23

-0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$1.69 R 28.09

-26.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$1.42 R 23.73

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.23 R 20.55

-38.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$1.01 R 16.87

-49.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.95 R 49.19

39.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$4.88 R 81.4

267.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.05 R 17.45

54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$0.97 R 16.14

190.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$1.18 R 19.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.50 R 8.26

-66.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$8.61 R 143

-78.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.46 R 24.33

0.68%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$35.3K R 588.2K

-40.48%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$29.4K R 489.3K

-9.70%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$123 R 2,054

-49.25%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$30.34 R 506

-61.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$45.33 R 755

-55.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$39.33 R 655

-3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$5.04 R 84.0

29.17%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$175 R 2,914

315.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$5,508 R 91.8K

200.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$56.1 R 935

-4.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$32.59 R 543

-23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$73.5 R 1,225

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$94.8 R 1,580

-24.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$238 R 3,960

102.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$296 R 4,924

4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$603 R 10.1K

75.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$566 R 9,430

16.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$481 R 8,009

403.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$833 R 13.9K

93.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$1,442 R 24.0K

-58.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.33

-50.84%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for East London: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

East London

$295 30.2% 4.7% $14

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

East London

$185 18.9% 22% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

East London

$116 11.8% 6.8% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

East London

$199 20.4% 111% $104

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

East London

$130 13.3% 69.7% $53

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

East London

$3.7 * 0.4% 93.8% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

East London

$49 5.1% 2.9% $1.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $238 in East London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in East London are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in East London. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $185 in East London – so East London wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇿🇦 East London

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

02:16 2:16 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

267,007

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai East London 9,490 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
East London

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East London costs about 5% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,467 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $238 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $34 in East London. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in East London – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $978 in East London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $978 in East London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, East London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.