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

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $862 per month in Howick vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,338 per month in Howick vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,813 per month in Howick vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Howick and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Howick and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Howick 36% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 R 54.9

$1.94 ฿63.5

74.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.56 R 464

$18.64 ฿609

53.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.45 R 56.1

$7.82 ฿255

-55.88%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.18

$1.95 ฿63.8

1.54%

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

$0.55 R 8.90

$0.85 ฿27.77

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 R 7.10

$0.35 ฿11.58

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 R 32.46

$2.13 ฿69.6

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 R 37.24

$3.73 ฿122

-38.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R 17.07

$1.71 ฿56.0

-38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 R 13.09

$1.63 ฿53.2

-50.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R 18.44

$1.14 ฿37.15

-0.88%

Eggs

$2.18 R 35.47

$1.93 ฿63.1

12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 R 80.5

$16.21 ฿530

-69.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.26 R 36.78

$3.12 ฿102

-27.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.93 R 80.1

$10.90 ฿356

-54.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.23

$2.75 ฿90.0

-45.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.67

$1.21 ฿39.52

-9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.38

$1.62 ฿53.0

-14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.52

$1.59 ฿51.8

-28.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 R 13.07

$1.40 ฿45.70

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 19.91

$1.17 ฿38.17

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 R 15.66

$0.66 ฿21.60

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 14.90

$0.53 ฿17.22

73.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 R 51.5

$4.69 ฿153

-32.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R 79.5

$18.66 ฿609

-73.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.71

$1.80 ฿58.8

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 17.92

$3.23 ฿106

-65.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 R 26.62

$0.90 ฿29.26

82.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 R 28.03

$1.41 ฿45.91

21.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 R 9.33

$1.29 ฿42.12

-55.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 R 111

$7.84 ฿256

-13.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.28

$1.27 ฿41.58

-1.57%

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

$14.0K R 227.8K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

-34.13%

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

$22.6K R 367.5K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

1.82%

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

$147 R 2,386

$69.1 ฿2,256

112.55%

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

$13.79 R 224

$14.08 ฿460

-2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.39 R 543

$18.00 ฿588

85.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.06 R 505

$41.06 ฿1,341

-24.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 R 92.1

$5.92 ฿193

-4.39%

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

$100 R 1,629

$299 ฿9,766

-66.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,543 R 73.8K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-69.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.71 R 694

$54.7 ฿1,787

-21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.15 R 230

$26.77 ฿874

-47.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 R 1,340

$85.0 ฿2,776

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.83 R 729

$70.6 ฿2,306

-36.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 5,999

$428 ฿14.0K

-13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 R 5,364

$237 ฿7,752

39.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.1K

$801 ฿26.2K

-14.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 R 11.3K

$515 ฿16.8K

35.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$980 R 15.9K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-50.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$777 R 12.6K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-47.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

140.20%

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

Last update for Howick: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Howick versus $428 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Howick versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $135 in Howick vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Howick wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,294 per month in Howick and $1,300 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Howick, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 82% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Howick and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $862 in Howick and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Howick costs $862 versus $866 in Chiang Mai. 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 Howick. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.