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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,625 per month in Poole vs $950 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,918 per month in Poole vs $1,430 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,210 per month in Poole vs $1,909 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Poole costs about 176% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Poole sits 90% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.01 £17.75

$2.10 ฿69.4

1043.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 £73.9

$19.84 ฿656

403.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £7.92

$5.79 ฿192

84.97%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.52

$1.83 ฿60.5

160.11%

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

$3.15 £2.33

$0.78 ฿25.63

303.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 £1.56

$0.31 ฿10.38

580.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.00

$2.34 ฿77.3

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 £5.33

$3.70 ฿122

94.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$2.03 ฿67.1

-17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 £1.47

$1.60 ฿52.8

24.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$1.42 ฿46.80

58.45%

Eggs

$4.42 £3.27

$2.18 ฿72.0

102.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.60 £4.88

$15.91 ฿526

-58.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 £6.84

$3.07 ฿102

201.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 £9.52

$9.87 ฿326

30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 £1.74

$2.63 ฿86.9

-10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.10 ฿36.23

59.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 £1.40

$1.63 ฿53.9

16.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 £1.69

$1.53 ฿50.6

49.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 £1.57

$1.24 ฿41.16

70.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.13 ฿37.40

30.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 £1.39

$0.74 ฿24.41

155.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.41

$0.50 ฿16.50

282.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.57 £17.43

$4.28 ฿142

450.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 £7.46

$17.97 ฿594

-43.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 £2.15

$1.70 ฿56.2

71.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 £1.78

$2.90 ฿95.8

-16.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 £2.98

$0.94 ฿31.15

328.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.1 £57.0

$55.3 ฿1,828

39.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 £2.49

$1.23 ฿40.80

173.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 £1.78

$0.53 ฿17.67

354.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 £16.29

$2.40 ฿79.4

817.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.44 ฿47.60

36.11%

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

$39.3K £29.1K

$21.2K ฿700.9K

85.52%

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

$40.6K £30.0K

$27.3K ฿903.0K

48.81%

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

$372 £275

$64.9 ฿2,147

473.37%

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

$17.10 £12.64

$13.35 ฿442

28.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.52 £32.17

$20.83 ฿689

108.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.6 £61.8

$40.42 ฿1,337

106.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$21.38 £15.81

$6.71 ฿222

218.63%

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

$1,623 £1,200

$787 ฿26.0K

106.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K £25.2K

$15.1K ฿500.1K

125.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 £69.7

$56.2 ฿1,859

67.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 £29.99

$24.95 ฿825

62.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 £74.0

$92.7 ฿3,066

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 £64.0

$75.1 ฿2,484

15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 £882

$484 ฿16.0K

146.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 £890

$287 ฿9,500

319.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,333 £1,725

$910 ฿30.1K

156.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 £1,588

$531 ฿17.5K

304.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,138 £1,580

$1,451 ฿48.0K

47.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,345 £2,473

$605 ฿20.0K

452.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Poole: September 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,193 in Poole versus $484 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 453% higher in Poole, 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 $100 in Poole versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $242 – 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

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

Poole costs about 176% 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 $3,938 per month in Poole and $1,426 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 $1,623 per month in Poole and $787 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 Poole, 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 $950, than in Poole at $2,625. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Poole it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $950 versus $2,625 in Poole. 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, Poole makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.