Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Southampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $3,694 in Southampton, rent and utilities included – about $33,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
179

Cost of Living Index in Southampton
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Southampton Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Southampton

🇧🇲 Bermuda

$3,694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,694 in Southampton, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Southampton $3,694

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $8,281 in Southampton, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Southampton $8,281

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $12.9K in Southampton, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Southampton $12.9K

Chiang Mai is about 75% cheaper than Southampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Southampton is 173% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$50.7 BMD 50.7

-95.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$151 BMD 151

-86.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$16.82 BMD 16.82

-66.65%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$6.02 BMD 6.02

-72.43%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.98 BMD 2.98

-76.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$3.09 BMD 3.09

-89.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$7.55 BMD 7.55

-68.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$9.03 BMD 9.03

-58.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$4.79 BMD 4.79

-59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$7.98 BMD 7.98

-82.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$5.45 BMD 5.45

-75.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$7.33 BMD 7.33

-70.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$23.09 BMD 23.09

-27.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$21.09 BMD 21.09

-86.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$19.30 BMD 19.30

-52.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$8.88 BMD 8.88

-73.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$6.79 BMD 6.79

-84.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$7.23 BMD 7.23

-77.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$8.49 BMD 8.49

-82.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$5.86 BMD 5.86

-77.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$4.13 BMD 4.13

-73.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$6.39 BMD 6.39

-88.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$3.39 BMD 3.39

-84.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$18.34 BMD 18.34

-76.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$23.79 BMD 23.79

-24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$5.12 BMD 5.12

-69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$4.20 BMD 4.20

-32.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$6.60 BMD 6.60

-81.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$3.07 BMD 3.07

-81.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$70.9 BMD 70.9

-96.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$2.10 BMD 2.10

-31.43%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$37.4K BMD 37.4K

-44.51%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$43.4K BMD 43.4K

-38.25%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$288 BMD 288

-78.37%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$148 BMD 148

-91.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$162 BMD 162

-87.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$13.37 BMD 13.37

-51.38%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$1,314 BMD 1,314

-39.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$24.9K BMD 24.9K

-40.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$90.3 BMD 90.3

-40.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$70.2 BMD 70.2

-64.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$141 BMD 141

-35.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$131 BMD 131

-45.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$1,503 BMD 1,503

-80.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$7,867 BMD 7,867

-92.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$9,763 BMD 9,763

-93.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.63

-35.46%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Southampton: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Southampton

$1.5K 40.7% 405% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Southampton

$742 20.1% 215% $506

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Southampton

$195 5.3% 79.8% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Southampton

$598 16.2% 533% $503

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Southampton

$608 16.5% 674% $530

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Southampton

$22 * 0.6% 63.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Southampton

$27 * 0.7% 46.6% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 1552% higher in Southampton, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $151 in Southampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $742 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇲 Southampton

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

21:06 9:06 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

6,260

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bermudian Dollar BMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BMD = 1 USD

1 BMD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bermudian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BMD (1 BMD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BMD (1 BMD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Southampton 14,080 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Southampton

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 Southampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Southampton costs about 299% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $5,542 in Southampton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $151 in Southampton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 215% more in Southampton, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Southampton at $3,694. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southampton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $3,694 in Southampton. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Southampton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.