Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harrow and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,031 in Harrow, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Harrow, United Kingdom
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Harrow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,031
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Harrow and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,031 per month in Harrow vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Harrow $3,031
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,459 per month in Harrow vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Harrow $4,459
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,886 per month in Harrow vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Harrow $5,886
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Harrow costs about 224% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Harrow sits 123% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.77 £14.77
$2.24 ฿75.6
782.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.2 £71.1
$19.00 ฿641
401.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.16 £6.84
$5.55 ฿187
65.05%
Cappuccino
$4.81 £3.59
$1.67 ฿56.5
188.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 £2.17
$0.64 ฿21.55
353.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 £1.48
$0.31 ฿10.31
535.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.32 £5.47
$2.36 ฿79.6
210.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 £5.29
$3.66 ฿124
93.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.95 ฿65.8
-16.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 £1.37
$1.44 ฿48.48
27.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.33 ฿45.04
23.31%
Eggs
$5.83 £4.35
$2.28 ฿77.1
155.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.22 £8.38
$16.45 ฿555
-31.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.24 £6.15
$2.78 ฿93.9
196.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.71 £9.50
$9.31 ฿314
36.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 £1.50
$2.35 ฿79.4
-14.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 £0.99
$0.97 ฿32.80
36.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 £1.33
$1.60 ฿53.9
10.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.24 £3.92
$1.50 ฿50.6
249.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 £1.02
$1.28 ฿43.12
6.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.10 ฿37.19
40.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 £1.02
$0.71 ฿23.82
91.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 £1.02
$0.49 ฿16.37
179.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.23 £16.61
$4.14 ฿140
436.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.55 £7.13
$17.52 ฿591
-45.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 £1.46
$1.61 ฿54.5
21.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 £1.01
$2.78 ฿94.0
-51.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.89 £3.66
$0.87 ฿29.31
462.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,826
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$13.35 £9.98
$1.16 ฿39.06
1050.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.92 £2.93
$0.53 ฿17.80
639.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.42 ฿81.8
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 £1.43
$1.45 ฿48.90
31.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.3K £30.1K
$21.1K ฿710.7K
91.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.8K £33.5K
$26.9K ฿909.3K
66.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 £150
$62.2 ฿2,098
223.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.01 £11.21
$12.17 ฿411
23.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.90 £29.81
$20.12 ฿679
98.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.7 £58.8
$37.31 ฿1,259
110.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.18 £10.59
$6.49 ฿219
118.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,929 £1,441
$736 ฿24.8K
162.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.1K £18.0K
$14.8K ฿498.3K
63.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.7 £58.8
$53.4 ฿1,801
47.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.9 £44.74
$24.64 ฿831
143.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.4
$91.5 ฿3,087
16.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 £120
$71.9 ฿2,428
123.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,297 £1,716
$482 ฿16.3K
376.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,830 £1,367
$309 ฿10.4K
492.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,227 £3,158
$1,006 ฿33.9K
320.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,096 £2,313
$633 ฿21.4K
388.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,262 £5,425
$2,363 ฿79.8K
207.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,235 £5,405
$1,589 ฿53.6K
355.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Harrow
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,045 £3,769
$590 ฿19.9K
755.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.3
5.57
-4.85%

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

Last update for Harrow: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Harrow
$1.8K
Chiang Mai
$309 83.1% $1.5K
Eating Out
Harrow
$314
Chiang Mai
$78 75.3% $236
Groceries & Markets
Harrow
$289
Chiang Mai
$234 19% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Harrow
$256
Chiang Mai
$94 63.1% $162
Clothing & Footwear
Harrow
$182
Chiang Mai
$109 40.5% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Harrow
$107
Chiang Mai
$50 53% $57
Getting Around
Harrow
$53 *
Chiang Mai
$61 16.8% $8.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,297 in Harrow versus $482 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 in Harrow are about 8.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Harrow versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Harrow
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
12:48 12:48 PM
19:48 7:48 PM
7 h ahead of Harrow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,246
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Harrow Chiang Mai 9,000 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Harrow
  • Chiang Mai

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
Harrow vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Harrow or Chiang Mai?
Harrow costs about 224% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Harrow and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,546 per month in Harrow and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Harrow or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $2,297 in Harrow.
How do dining costs compare in Harrow and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Harrow and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Harrow or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 23% more in Harrow, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Harrow or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,031 in Harrow and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Harrow compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Harrow or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Harrow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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