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 $2,225 per month in Livingston vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,441 per month in Livingston vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,656 per month in Livingston vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Livingston costs about 161% 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

$20.42 £15.13

$1.96 ฿64.0

941.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 £69.1

$18.81 ฿615

396.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 £7.21

$7.92 ฿259

22.85%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.64

$1.91 ฿62.6

157.07%

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

$2.66 £1.97

$0.84 ฿27.41

216.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.62

$0.35 ฿11.51

525.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 £5.14

$2.21 ฿72.1

214.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.08

$3.80 ฿124

80.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.64 ฿53.5

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.62 ฿53.1

7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.61

$1.18 ฿38.62

84.75%

Eggs

$3.59 £2.66

$2.01 ฿65.8

78.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 £8.17

$15.89 ฿520

-30.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 £6.92

$3.01 ฿98.5

210.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.16 £11.98

$10.77 ฿352

50.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.61 ฿85.5

19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.22 ฿39.88

36.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 £1.96

$1.70 ฿55.7

55.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 £2.80

$1.58 ฿51.5

138.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.32 ฿43.14

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.17 ฿38.23

23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$0.67 ฿21.98

79.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.24

$0.56 ฿18.32

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.22 £14.24

$4.53 ฿148

324.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 £7.87

$18.20 ฿595

-41.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 £1.91

$1.83 ฿60.0

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.50

$3.23 ฿106

4.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.44

$0.89 ฿29.00

269.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 £56.6

$19.38 ฿634

294.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 £4.10

$1.35 ฿44.20

310.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.35 ฿44.05

-5.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.75 £16.86

$8.25 ฿270

175.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.27 ฿41.64

55.12%

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

$38.0K £28.2K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

79.71%

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

$39.3K £29.1K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

74.84%

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

$378 £280

$70.2 ฿2,294

439.53%

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

$17.07 £12.65

$13.77 ฿450

23.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.79 £33.19

$17.60 ฿575

154.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 £44.91

$41.57 ฿1,360

45.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.81 £25.06

$6.60 ฿216

412.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 £8.20

$5.78 ฿189

91.52%

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

$1,276 £946

$306 ฿10.0K

316.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K £13.9K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

26.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £78.5

$54.4 ฿1,778

94.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 £41.27

$26.14 ฿855

113.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £85.8

$84.5 ฿2,764

36.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 £61.1

$69.4 ฿2,270

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 £654

$424 ฿13.9K

108.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 £579

$238 ฿7,788

227.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 £1,429

$825 ฿27.0K

133.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 £1,138

$515 ฿16.8K

198.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,548 £2,629

$635 ฿20.8K

458.59%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $882 in Livingston versus $424 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 459% 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 $93.0 in Livingston versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $243 – 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 161% 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 $3,338 per month in Livingston and $1,278 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 $1,276 per month in Livingston and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $2,225. 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 $2,225 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.