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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,344 per month in Rugby vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,491 per month in Rugby vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,637 per month in Rugby vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rugby costs about 147% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Rugby sits 71% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.60 £15.22

$2.08 ฿68.6

890.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 £60.0

$19.64 ฿646

313.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 £7.06

$5.65 ฿186

69.03%

Cappuccino

$5.01 £3.71

$1.81 ฿59.4

176.80%

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

$2.09 £1.54

$0.71 ฿23.45

194.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.32 ฿10.38

387.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 £4.55

$2.24 ฿73.6

174.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 £4.68

$3.63 ฿119

74.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.96 ฿64.4

-10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 £1.32

$1.50 ฿49.39

19.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 £1.88

$1.34 ฿43.93

89.55%

Eggs

$3.91 £2.89

$2.26 ฿74.5

73.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 £8.63

$16.26 ฿535

-28.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 £6.07

$2.95 ฿97.1

178.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 £11.54

$9.94 ฿327

57.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 £1.88

$2.57 ฿84.6

-0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.06 ฿34.73

72.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 £1.86

$1.61 ฿53.0

56.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 £2.32

$1.52 ฿49.97

106.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.27 ฿41.77

33.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.07 ฿35.06

67.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.89

$0.72 ฿23.68

68.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.18

$0.51 ฿16.72

213.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.55 £16.67

$4.19 ฿138

438.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 £9.16

$17.87 ฿587

-30.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.70

$1.69 ฿55.7

116.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.55

$2.84 ฿93.3

21.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 £1.97

$0.93 ฿30.43

186.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 £3.33

$1.23 ฿40.59

265.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.58 ฿18.96

225.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.82 £18.35

$2.42 ฿79.7

925.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.41 ฿46.43

39.72%

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

$39.4K £29.1K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

83.56%

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

$41.0K £30.3K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

49.91%

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

$270 £200

$63.7 ฿2,093

324.16%

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

$20.59 £15.22

$12.85 ฿423

60.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.03 £35.50

$20.22 ฿665

137.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 £43.38

$38.74 ฿1,274

51.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 £10.92

$6.74 ฿222

119.14%

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

$1,622 £1,199

$778 ฿25.6K

108.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K £11.5K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

6.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 £79.3

$54.3 ฿1,785

97.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 £28.13

$25.45 ฿837

49.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 £87.8

$94.3 ฿3,102

25.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 £84.3

$73.4 ฿2,415

55.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 £857

$490 ฿16.1K

136.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 £781

$289 ฿9,512

265.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 £1,344

$894 ฿29.4K

103.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 £1,391

$517 ฿17.0K

263.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 £3,745

$1,955 ฿64.3K

159.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,346 £3,212

$1,477 ฿48.6K

194.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,234 £3,130

$602 ฿19.8K

603.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

5.57

-8.62%

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

Last update for Rugby: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,159 in Rugby versus $490 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 603% higher in Rugby, 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 $81.0 in Rugby versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $240 – 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

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

Rugby costs about 147% 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 $3,516 per month in Rugby and $1,421 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Rugby and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Rugby, 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 $947, than in Rugby at $2,344. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rugby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $2,344 in Rugby. 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, Rugby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.