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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,301 per month in Retford vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,426 per month in Retford vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,552 per month in Retford vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Retford costs about 164% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Retford sits 71% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 £15.07

$2.01 ฿64.5

914.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 £60.1

$18.23 ฿584

345.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 £7.56

$7.65 ฿245

33.73%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.36

$1.92 ฿61.5

136.98%

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

$2.38 £1.76

$0.84 ฿26.96

183.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$0.36 ฿11.42

361.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 £4.50

$2.19 ฿70.2

178.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 £4.56

$3.79 ฿121

63.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.22

$1.64 ฿52.5

1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.62 ฿51.9

-2.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 £1.70

$1.15 ฿36.96

100.87%

Eggs

$3.96 £2.93

$1.94 ฿62.1

104.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.10

$15.94 ฿511

-39.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 £6.48

$3.10 ฿99.4

182.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 £10.41

$11.07 ฿355

27.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 £2.26

$2.71 ฿86.7

12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.18 ฿37.77

38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 £2.13

$1.71 ฿54.6

68.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 £2.57

$1.61 ฿51.4

115.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.39 ฿44.63

20.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 £1.08

$1.15 ฿36.78

27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 £0.82

$0.71 ฿22.81

56.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.07

$0.55 ฿17.63

163.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.32 £14.28

$4.57 ฿146

322.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 £7.92

$18.87 ฿605

-43.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.02

$1.82 ฿58.3

50.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.29

$3.21 ฿103

-3.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.56

$0.88 ฿28.23

293.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 £65.6

$18.89 ฿605

369.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.90

$1.41 ฿45.27

274.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.16

$1.30 ฿41.68

21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.19 £17.14

$8.20 ฿263

182.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.23 ฿39.27

52.03%

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

$38.0K £28.1K

$21.2K ฿678.5K

79.33%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$22.3K ฿714.9K

84.16%

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

$301 £222

$69.9 ฿2,239

330.21%

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

$16.92 £12.50

$14.07 ฿451

20.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.68 £32.28

$17.70 ฿567

146.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £33.94

$41.41 ฿1,327

10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 £10.08

$5.74 ฿184

137.63%

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

$1,574 £1,163

$299 ฿9,587

426.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.3K

$15.0K ฿480.9K

20.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 £61.3

$54.8 ฿1,756

51.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 £32.42

$26.35 ฿844

66.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 £68.8

$84.7 ฿2,712

10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £73.9

$69.7 ฿2,234

43.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 £912

$427 ฿13.7K

189.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 £738

$241 ฿7,713

314.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 £1,501

$811 ฿26.0K

150.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 £1,259

$498 ฿16.0K

241.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,180 £1,611

$2,022 ฿64.8K

7.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,026 £1,497

$1,524 ฿48.8K

32.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,375 £1,016

$639 ฿20.5K

115.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

12.60%

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

Last update for Retford: April 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,234 in Retford 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.

Salaries run about 115% higher in Retford, 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 $81 in Retford versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 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

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

Retford costs about 164% 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 $3,451 per month in Retford 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 $1,574 per month in Retford 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 21% more in Retford, 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 Retford at $2,301. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Retford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $2,301 in Retford. 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, Retford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.