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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,318 per month in Kirkwall vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,450 per month in Kirkwall vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,582 per month in Kirkwall vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kirkwall costs about 166% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Kirkwall sits 72% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 £18.68

$2.01 ฿64.5

1157.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 £60.0

$18.23 ฿584

345.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 £7.31

$7.65 ฿245

29.28%

Cappuccino

$4.02 £2.97

$1.92 ฿61.5

109.37%

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

$2.33 £1.72

$0.84 ฿26.96

177.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.17

$0.36 ฿11.42

341.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 £4.05

$2.19 ฿70.2

150.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 £4.70

$3.79 ฿121

67.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.18

$1.64 ฿52.5

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.62 ฿51.9

1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 £1.64

$1.15 ฿36.96

93.04%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.93

$1.94 ฿62.1

104.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 £7.20

$15.94 ฿511

-38.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 £6.36

$3.10 ฿99.4

177.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 £10.58

$11.07 ฿355

29.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.33

$2.71 ฿86.7

16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.18 ฿37.77

38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.12

$1.71 ฿54.6

67.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 £2.62

$1.61 ฿51.4

119.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.39 ฿44.63

17.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.14

$1.15 ฿36.78

34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 £0.79

$0.71 ฿22.81

50.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.55 ฿17.63

165.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.36 £14.31

$4.57 ฿146

323.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.91

$18.87 ฿605

-43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.06

$1.82 ฿58.3

53.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.28

$3.21 ฿103

-4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 £2.42

$0.88 ฿28.23

271.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 £66.7

$18.89 ฿605

377.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 £4.13

$1.41 ฿45.27

296.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.18

$1.30 ฿41.68

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.01 £17.00

$8.20 ฿263

180.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.23 ฿39.27

59.35%

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

$39.0K £28.8K

$21.2K ฿678.5K

84.14%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$22.3K ฿714.9K

84.09%

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

$291 £215

$69.9 ฿2,239

316.63%

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

$17.00 £12.57

$14.07 ฿451

20.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.62 £31.50

$17.70 ฿567

140.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.29 £19.43

$41.41 ฿1,327

-36.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 £9.91

$5.74 ฿184

133.62%

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

$1,575 £1,164

$299 ฿9,587

426.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$15.0K ฿480.9K

20.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 £63.0

$54.8 ฿1,756

55.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 £32.57

$26.35 ฿844

67.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 £69.3

$84.7 ฿2,712

10.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 £73.7

$69.7 ฿2,234

42.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 £890

$427 ฿13.7K

182.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 £739

$241 ฿7,713

315.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 £1,528

$811 ฿26.0K

155.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 £1,251

$498 ฿16.0K

239.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,959 £1,448

$639 ฿20.5K

206.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

12.60%

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

Last update for Kirkwall: April 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,204 in Kirkwall versus $427 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 206% higher in Kirkwall, 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 $81 in Kirkwall versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $246 – 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

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

Kirkwall costs about 166% 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 $3,477 per month in Kirkwall and $1,308 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 $1,575 per month in Kirkwall and $299 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Kirkwall, 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 $872, than in Kirkwall at $2,318. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kirkwall it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $2,318 in Kirkwall. 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, Kirkwall makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.