Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Slough and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,000 in Slough, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Slough, United Kingdom
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Slough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,000
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Slough and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Slough and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,000 per month in Slough vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Slough $3,000
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $4,417 per month in Slough vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Slough $4,417
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,835 per month in Slough vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Slough $5,835
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Slough costs about 221% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Slough sits 122% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.09 £18.65
$2.13 ฿71.4
1077.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$94.6 £70.3
$18.62 ฿623
408.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.83 £8.05
$5.60 ฿187
93.39%
Cappuccino
$5.03 £3.74
$1.66 ฿55.6
203.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 £2.11
$0.65 ฿21.63
336.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 £1.72
$0.30 ฿10.20
670.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.47 £6.29
$2.32 ฿77.7
265.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.94 £5.16
$3.67 ฿123
89.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 £1.26
$2.02 ฿67.4
-15.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 £1.25
$1.41 ฿47.08
19.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.89 £2.15
$1.39 ฿46.54
107.91%
Eggs
$3.78 £2.81
$2.37 ฿79.2
59.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.98 £10.39
$16.52 ฿552
-15.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.38 £6.23
$2.67 ฿89.3
213.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.16 £11.26
$9.02 ฿302
68.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.26 £2.42
$2.40 ฿80.2
35.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 £1.28
$1.04 ฿34.82
65.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.04 £2.26
$1.66 ฿55.5
83.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 £2.83
$1.56 ฿52.1
143.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 £1.25
$1.24 ฿41.39
36.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 £1.06
$1.09 ฿36.34
31.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 £0.81
$0.76 ฿25.47
43.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 £1.16
$0.51 ฿17.19
207.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.14 £17.94
$4.12 ฿138
485.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.25 £8.36
$17.93 ฿600
-37.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.40 £2.52
$1.62 ฿54.3
109.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 £2.61
$2.82 ฿94.4
24.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.00 £2.97
$0.93 ฿31.25
330.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$243 £181
$52.9 ฿1,769
360.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.89 £5.86
$1.18 ฿39.35
568.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.31 £1.72
$0.17 ฿5.73
1258.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.20 £15.01
$1.81 ฿60.6
1016.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 £1.51
$1.47 ฿49.25
38.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K £29.2K
$21.0K ฿702.6K
86.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.1K
$26.5K ฿886.7K
52.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$358 £266
$62.6 ฿2,092
471.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.71 £15.39
$11.60 ฿388
78.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.82 £32.57
$20.30 ฿679
115.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.90 £32.62
$37.88 ฿1,267
15.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.31 £6.17
$3.70 ฿124
124.59%
Cinema Ticket
$16.17 £12.02
$6.51 ฿218
148.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,074 £1,542
$727 ฿24.3K
185.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.0K £23.0K
$16.6K ฿554.2K
86.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.2 £55.9
$53.5 ฿1,790
40.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.9 £51.2
$24.80 ฿829
177.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 £85.4
$90.4 ฿3,023
27.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 £79.1
$72.0 ฿2,407
47.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,758 £1,307
$481 ฿16.1K
265.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,363 £1,013
$310 ฿10.4K
339.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,957 £2,198
$1,058 ฿35.4K
179.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,332 £1,733
$659 ฿22.0K
254.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.6K £13.1K
$2,418 ฿80.8K
626.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$13.1K £9,759
$1,609 ฿53.8K
716.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Slough
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,966 £2,948
$595 ฿19.9K
566.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.91
5.57
-11.85%

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

Last update for Slough: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Slough
$1.4K
Chiang Mai
$310 77.3% $1.1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Slough
$422
Chiang Mai
$94 77.6% $328
Eating Out
Slough
$370
Chiang Mai
$77 79.3% $294
Groceries & Markets
Slough
$325
Chiang Mai
$237 27.2% $88
Getting Around
Slough
$279
Chiang Mai
$59 79% $220
Clothing & Footwear
Slough
$165
Chiang Mai
$108 34.2% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Slough
$76
Chiang Mai
$51 33.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,758 in Slough versus $481 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 in Slough are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Slough versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Slough
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
11:09 11:09 AM
18:09 6:09 PM
7 h ahead of Slough
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
164,455
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Slough Chiang Mai 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Slough
  • Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Slough vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Slough or Chiang Mai?
Slough costs about 221% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Slough and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,500 per month in Slough and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Slough or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,758 in Slough.
How do childcare costs compare in Slough and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $2,074 per month in Slough and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Slough or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 37% more in Slough, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Slough or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,000 in Slough and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Slough or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Slough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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