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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,216 per month in Livingston vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,443 per month in Livingston vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,669 per month in Livingston vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Livingston costs about 160% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Livingston sits 66% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 £14.86

$2.04 ฿68.2

882.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 £70.0

$18.71 ฿624

404.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 £7.28

$7.86 ฿262

24.94%

Cappuccino

$4.80 £3.56

$2.03 ฿67.7

136.45%

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

$2.73 £2.03

$0.80 ฿26.64

241.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 £1.57

$0.35 ฿11.68

505.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 £5.17

$2.14 ฿71.5

225.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 £4.88

$3.67 ฿122

79.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.73 ฿57.6

-5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.57 ฿52.4

5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.60

$1.20 ฿39.99

80.00%

Eggs

$3.56 £2.64

$1.97 ฿65.8

80.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 £8.20

$16.23 ฿541

-31.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 £6.82

$3.06 ฿102

200.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.24 £12.03

$10.80 ฿360

50.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$2.77 ฿92.3

14.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.17 ฿38.94

39.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.04

$1.71 ฿57.0

60.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 £2.80

$1.59 ฿53.2

137.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.39 ฿46.51

26.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.16 ฿38.56

23.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$0.66 ฿22.05

75.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 £1.23

$0.52 ฿17.31

217.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.91 £14.01

$4.65 ฿155

306.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 £7.91

$17.78 ฿593

-39.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.95

$1.79 ฿59.6

46.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 £2.53

$3.34 ฿111

2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 £2.43

$0.91 ฿30.27

260.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.9 £55.5

$18.64 ฿622

301.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.04

$1.41 ฿47.04

286.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 £0.91

$1.34 ฿44.70

-8.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 £16.33

$8.11 ฿270

171.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.23 ฿41.16

61.79%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

81.59%

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

$39.7K £29.4K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

82.06%

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

$381 £282

$71.3 ฿2,379

433.73%

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

$17.55 £13.01

$14.01 ฿467

25.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.47 £33.70

$17.93 ฿598

153.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 £45.19

$40.82 ฿1,362

49.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.29 £25.42

$6.88 ฿230

398.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 £7.98

$5.72 ฿191

88.29%

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

$1,249 £926

$308 ฿10.3K

305.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K £13.9K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

27.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 £78.2

$55.8 ฿1,860

89.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 £40.92

$26.04 ฿869

112.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.2

$84.8 ฿2,829

37.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 £60.5

$71.0 ฿2,368

14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 £661

$423 ฿14.1K

110.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 £570

$242 ฿8,088

217.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 £1,456

$797 ฿26.6K

146.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 £1,170

$507 ฿16.9K

211.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,983 £2,952

$595 ฿19.9K

569.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.7

14.00%

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

Last update for Livingston: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Livingston versus $423 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 569% higher in Livingston, 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 $94.0 in Livingston versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $244 – 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

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

Livingston costs about 160% 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 $3,324 per month in Livingston and $1,279 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 $1,249 per month in Livingston and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Livingston, 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 $852, than in Livingston at $2,216. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Livingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $2,216 in Livingston. 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, Livingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.