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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,321 per month in Oban vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,309 per month in Oban vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,297 per month in Oban vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Oban costs about 170% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Oban sits 74% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 £12.63

$1.96 ฿65.8

765.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 £49.76

$18.35 ฿617

264.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 £4.96

$7.48 ฿252

-10.96%

Cappuccino

$3.32 £2.47

$2.02 ฿67.8

64.36%

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

$2.01 £1.50

$0.85 ฿28.50

136.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.36 ฿11.96

322.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.74 £3.53

$2.14 ฿71.8

121.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 £3.00

$3.59 ฿121

12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.65 ฿55.5

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.57 ฿52.7

2.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.19 ฿40.02

48.74%

Eggs

$4.10 £3.05

$1.94 ฿65.1

111.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 £6.61

$16.19 ฿544

-45.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 £8.61

$2.99 ฿101

286.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 £10.07

$10.94 ฿368

23.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.25

$2.71 ฿91.2

11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.17 ฿39.25

41.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$1.69 ฿56.7

65.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 £3.15

$1.60 ฿54.0

164.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.38 ฿46.54

-13.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 £0.80

$1.20 ฿40.45

-10.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$0.67 ฿22.50

74.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 £0.47

$0.56 ฿18.73

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.08 £12.71

$4.64 ฿156

268.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 £8.30

$17.62 ฿593

-36.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.86 ฿62.5

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 £1.68

$3.30 ฿111

-31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.97

$0.88 ฿29.68

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 £65.1

$19.34 ฿650

352.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.80 £3.57

$1.36 ฿45.90

252.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.34 ฿44.98

31.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.58 £25.74

$8.21 ฿276

321.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.22 ฿41.18

53.28%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

79.92%

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

$41.9K £31.2K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

86.11%

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

$345 £257

$70.7 ฿2,376

388.21%

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

$24.25 £18.05

$14.04 ฿472

72.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.85 £33.39

$17.49 ฿588

156.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.67 £34.00

$42.15 ฿1,417

8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$8.62 £6.41

$5.92 ฿199

45.61%

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

$1,851 £1,378

$309 ฿10.4K

500.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K £11.6K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

4.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £62.9

$55.8 ฿1,875

51.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.62 £30.99

$26.11 ฿878

59.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 £69.3

$83.0 ฿2,792

12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.2

$70.5 ฿2,369

73.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 £907

$432 ฿14.5K

181.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 £758

$239 ฿8,035

326.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 £1,523

$822 ฿27.7K

148.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 £1,286

$512 ฿17.2K

237.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,310 £2,465

$1,915 ฿64.4K

72.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,333 £2,481

$1,467 ฿49.3K

127.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,707 £2,015

$579 ฿19.5K

367.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

24.00%

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

Last update for Oban: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,218 in Oban versus $432 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 367% higher in Oban, 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 $67.0 in Oban versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 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

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

Oban costs about 170% 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 $3,481 per month in Oban and $1,292 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 $1,851 per month in Oban and $309 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 Oban, 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 $861, than in Oban at $2,321. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $2,321 in Oban. 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, Oban makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.