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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,167 per month in Newtown vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,131 per month in Newtown vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,096 per month in Newtown vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Newtown costs about 148% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Newtown sits 61% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 £9.90

$2.01 ฿64.5

565.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 £51.0

$18.23 ฿584

277.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 £7.88

$7.65 ฿245

38.95%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.60

$1.92 ฿61.5

153.13%

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

$2.71 £2.01

$0.84 ฿26.97

222.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.36 ฿11.42

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.70 £4.97

$2.19 ฿70.2

205.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 £5.28

$3.79 ฿121

88.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.64 ฿52.5

-3.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.62 ฿52.0

1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.15 ฿36.98

78.26%

Eggs

$3.76 £2.79

$1.94 ฿62.2

93.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 £6.46

$15.94 ฿511

-45.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.66

$3.10 ฿99.5

190.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 £7.88

$11.07 ฿355

-3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 £2.14

$2.71 ฿86.8

6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.18 ฿37.80

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 £1.80

$1.71 ฿54.7

42.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 £3.43

$1.61 ฿51.5

187.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.39 ฿44.66

31.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.15 ฿36.81

34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.03

$0.71 ฿22.83

97.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$0.55 ฿17.65

150.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.99 £14.07

$4.57 ฿146

315.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 £6.42

$18.87 ฿605

-54.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.26 £3.15

$1.82 ฿58.4

134.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 £2.85

$3.21 ฿103

19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.45

$0.88 ฿28.24

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 £65.6

$18.89 ฿606

368.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 £3.32

$1.41 ฿45.30

217.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 £1.85

$1.30 ฿41.71

91.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.79 £14.66

$8.20 ฿263

141.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.23 ฿39.29

53.66%

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

$24.6K £18.3K

$21.2K ฿678.9K

16.34%

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

$41.1K £30.5K

$22.3K ฿715.3K

84.31%

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

$207 £153

$69.9 ฿2,240

195.58%

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

$15.97 £11.83

$14.07 ฿451

13.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.11 £34.17

$17.70 ฿567

160.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.22 £34.25

$41.41 ฿1,328

11.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 £9.11

$5.74 ฿184

114.29%

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

$1,640 £1,215

$299 ฿9,593

447.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K £11.1K

$15.0K ฿481.2K

0.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 £44.83

$54.8 ฿1,758

10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 £28.46

$26.35 ฿845

45.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 £54.9

$84.7 ฿2,714

-12.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 £64.0

$69.7 ฿2,236

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 £924

$427 ฿13.7K

191.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 £756

$241 ฿7,718

323.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 £1,481

$811 ฿26.0K

146.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 £1,237

$498 ฿16.0K

234.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

18.00%

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

Last update for Newtown: April 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,246 in Newtown 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Newtown versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 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

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

Newtown costs about 148% 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 $3,250 per month in Newtown 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 $1,640 per month in Newtown 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 19% more in Newtown, 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 Newtown at $2,167. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newtown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $2,167 in Newtown. 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, Newtown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.