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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,505 per month in Exeter vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,948 per month in Exeter vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,391 per month in Exeter vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Exeter costs about 169% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Exeter sits 83% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 £14.86

$2.08 ฿69.1

864.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 £73.3

$19.61 ฿651

404.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 £6.94

$5.67 ฿188

65.26%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.76

$1.81 ฿59.9

180.66%

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

$3.15 £2.33

$0.77 ฿25.51

309.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.80

$0.35 ฿11.46

594.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 £5.35

$2.21 ฿73.5

227.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 £4.66

$3.79 ฿126

65.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$2.05 ฿68.0

-26.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.51 ฿50.3

9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.40 ฿46.44

24.29%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.24

$2.26 ฿75.0

93.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 £6.65

$16.19 ฿538

-44.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.64

$2.90 ฿96.2

208.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.15 £17.89

$9.42 ฿313

156.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 £2.25

$2.68 ฿88.9

13.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.09 ฿36.18

33.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 £1.96

$1.62 ฿53.7

62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$1.46 ฿48.48

116.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$1.28 ฿42.42

81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.06 ฿35.12

85.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 £1.20

$0.72 ฿23.81

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.53 ฿17.46

256.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.38 £18.06

$4.23 ฿140

476.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 £6.85

$18.29 ฿607

-49.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.69

$1.63 ฿54.1

122.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 £3.26

$2.90 ฿96.3

52.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.93

$0.88 ฿29.16

348.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £79.2

$53.8 ฿1,785

98.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 £4.30

$1.17 ฿38.93

395.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 £1.89

$0.58 ฿19.20

341.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.15 £17.89

$2.39 ฿79.2

910.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.45 ฿48.15

38.62%

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

$39.5K £29.3K

$21.0K ฿697.6K

88.14%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$26.4K ฿877.3K

56.00%

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

$475 £352

$63.7 ฿2,113

645.86%

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

$15.89 £11.77

$12.89 ฿428

23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.57 £34.49

$20.52 ฿681

126.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 £32.93

$39.02 ฿1,295

13.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.39 £9.92

$3.92 ฿130

241.58%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 £9.53

$6.58 ฿218

95.59%

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

$1,470 £1,089

$784 ฿26.0K

87.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K £13.1K

$14.7K ฿487.1K

20.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 £50.9

$55.1 ฿1,830

24.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.74 £23.51

$24.74 ฿821

28.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.0

$94.1 ฿3,125

9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £81.1

$74.0 ฿2,455

48.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 £871

$490 ฿16.3K

139.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £690

$288 ฿9,568

223.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 £1,871

$891 ฿29.6K

183.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 £1,551

$521 ฿17.3K

301.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,439 £4,029

$1,974 ฿65.5K

175.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,608 £4,895

$1,444 ฿48.0K

357.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,117 £2,309

$602 ฿20.0K

418.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.57

-8.26%

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

Last update for Exeter: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,176 in Exeter versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 418% higher in Exeter, 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 $99.0 in Exeter versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $241 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Exeter vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Exeter costs about 169% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,757 per month in Exeter and $1,398 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $1,470 per month in Exeter and $784 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Exeter, 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 $932, than in Exeter at $2,505. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Exeter it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $932 versus $2,505 in Exeter. 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, Exeter makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.