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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,333 per month in Sutton vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,504 per month in Sutton vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,676 per month in Sutton vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sutton costs about 167% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sutton sits 73% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.41 ÂĢ20.31
$2.01 āļŋ64.5
1263.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.3 ÂĢ69.2
$18.23 āļŋ584
411.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.00 ÂĢ8.15
$7.65 āļŋ245
43.79%
Cappuccino
$4.75 ÂĢ3.52
$1.92 āļŋ61.5
147.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ÂĢ2.05
$0.84 āļŋ26.97
228.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 ÂĢ1.32
$0.36 āļŋ11.42
394.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.17 ÂĢ6.06
$2.19 āļŋ70.2
273.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.62 ÂĢ4.90
$3.79 āļŋ121
74.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 ÂĢ1.31
$1.64 āļŋ52.5
7.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 ÂĢ1.02
$1.62 āļŋ52.0
-15.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 ÂĢ1.81
$1.15 āļŋ36.98
112.17%
Eggs
$3.56 ÂĢ2.64
$1.94 āļŋ62.2
83.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.13 ÂĢ7.50
$15.94 āļŋ511
-36.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.97 ÂĢ5.91
$3.10 āļŋ99.5
157.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.94 ÂĢ9.59
$11.07 āļŋ355
16.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.00 ÂĢ2.22
$2.71 āļŋ86.8
10.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 ÂĢ1.16
$1.18 āļŋ37.80
33.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 ÂĢ2.06
$1.71 āļŋ54.7
62.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.35 ÂĢ2.48
$1.61 āļŋ51.5
108.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 ÂĢ1.10
$1.39 āļŋ44.66
7.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.39 ÂĢ1.03
$1.15 āļŋ36.81
20.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 ÂĢ0.71
$0.71 āļŋ22.83
35.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 ÂĢ1.16
$0.55 āļŋ17.65
183.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.76 ÂĢ15.39
$4.57 āļŋ146
354.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.43 ÂĢ9.95
$18.87 āļŋ605
-28.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 ÂĢ1.68
$1.82 āļŋ58.4
24.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 ÂĢ2.48
$3.21 āļŋ103
4.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.32 ÂĢ2.46
$0.88 āļŋ28.24
277.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.9 ÂĢ65.1
$18.89 āļŋ606
365.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.49 ÂĢ4.07
$1.41 āļŋ45.30
289.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 ÂĢ1.18
$1.30 āļŋ41.71
22.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.99 ÂĢ11.11
$8.20 āļŋ263
82.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.88 ÂĢ1.39
$1.23 āļŋ39.29
52.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.7K ÂĢ28.0K
$21.2K āļŋ678.9K
78.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K ÂĢ29.5K
$22.3K āļŋ715.3K
78.69%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 ÂĢ167
$69.9 āļŋ2,240
222.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.48 ÂĢ14.43
$14.07 āļŋ451
38.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.25 ÂĢ32.79
$17.70 āļŋ567
150.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.69 ÂĢ33.86
$41.41 āļŋ1,328
10.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.69 āļŋ215
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.11 ÂĢ10.45
$5.74 āļŋ184
145.82%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,910 ÂĢ1,416
$299 āļŋ9,593
538.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ÂĢ19.1K
$15.0K āļŋ481.2K
72.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.6 ÂĢ62.0
$54.8 āļŋ1,758
52.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.99 ÂĢ35.56
$26.35 āļŋ845
82.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 ÂĢ82.5
$84.7 āļŋ2,714
31.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.5 ÂĢ73.7
$69.7 āļŋ2,236
42.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,231 ÂĢ912
$427 āļŋ13.7K
188.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 ÂĢ750
$241 āļŋ7,718
320.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,052 ÂĢ1,521
$811 āļŋ26.0K
153.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,724 ÂĢ1,278
$498 āļŋ16.0K
245.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,022 āļŋ64.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,592 ÂĢ5,626
$1,524 āļŋ48.9K
398.23%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Sutton
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,484 ÂĢ3,322
$639 āļŋ20.5K
601.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.53
5
10.60%

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

Last update for Sutton: April 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,231 in Sutton 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 601% higher in Sutton, 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 $93 in Sutton versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 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
Sutton vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sutton or Chiang Mai?
Sutton costs about 167% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sutton vs Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,499 per month in Sutton and $1,308 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sutton or Chiang Mai?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Sutton and Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $1,910 per month in Sutton and $299 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 Sutton or Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Sutton, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Sutton or Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $872, than in Sutton at $2,333. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sutton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sutton or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $2,333 in Sutton. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Sutton compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Sutton or Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sutton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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