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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,260 per month in Totnes vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,228 per month in Totnes vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,196 per month in Totnes vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Totnes costs about 139% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Totnes sits 64% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.48 £9.23

$2.08 ฿68.5

500.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 £50.6

$19.64 ฿646

248.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 £7.91

$5.65 ฿186

89.20%

Cappuccino

$4.14 £3.06

$1.81 ฿59.3

128.73%

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

$2.78 £2.06

$0.71 ฿23.44

291.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.02

$0.32 ฿10.38

331.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 £4.95

$2.24 ฿73.5

198.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 £4.15

$3.63 ฿119

54.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.96 ฿64.4

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.50 ฿49.38

-8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 £1.68

$1.34 ฿43.92

69.40%

Eggs

$3.90 £2.88

$2.26 ฿74.4

72.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 £7.15

$16.26 ฿534

-40.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 £6.73

$2.95 ฿97.1

208.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 £10.65

$9.94 ฿327

44.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 £2.05

$2.57 ฿84.5

7.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.17

$1.06 ฿34.72

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 £2.33

$1.61 ฿53.0

95.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.53

$1.52 ฿49.96

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.27 ฿41.76

59.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.07 ฿35.05

42.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 £0.80

$0.72 ฿23.67

51.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$0.51 ฿16.72

184.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.69 £16.79

$4.19 ฿138

441.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 £8.01

$17.87 ฿587

-39.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.41

$1.69 ฿55.7

92.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.46

$2.84 ฿93.2

16.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 £2.64

$0.93 ฿30.42

283.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.3 £69.7

$53.9 ฿1,770

75.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 £2.84

$1.23 ฿40.58

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.58 ฿18.96

194.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.77 £24.98

$2.42 ฿79.7

1295.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.41 ฿46.42

45.39%

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

$33.7K £25.0K

$21.4K ฿704.9K

57.34%

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

$38.7K £28.7K

$27.3K ฿898.5K

41.71%

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

$316 £234

$63.7 ฿2,093

396.58%

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

$27.08 £20.04

$12.85 ฿423

110.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.43 £29.91

$20.22 ฿665

99.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.41 £35.08

$38.74 ฿1,274

22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 £7.98

$6.74 ฿221

60.09%

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

$2,095 £1,550

$778 ฿25.6K

169.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.5K £24.8K

$14.6K ฿480.2K

129.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 £39.64

$54.3 ฿1,785

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.78 £20.55

$25.45 ฿836

9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 £60.9

$94.3 ฿3,101

-12.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 £73.3

$73.4 ฿2,414

34.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 £917

$490 ฿16.1K

153.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 £765

$289 ฿9,510

257.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,140 £1,583

$894 ฿29.4K

139.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 £1,278

$517 ฿17.0K

233.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 £3,867

$1,955 ฿64.3K

167.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 £2,510

$1,477 ฿48.5K

129.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 £1,657

$602 ฿19.8K

272.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.57

-8.26%

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

Last update for Totnes: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,239 in Totnes 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 272% higher in Totnes, 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 $68.0 in Totnes versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 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

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

Totnes costs about 139% 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 $3,390 per month in Totnes 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.

Kindergarten costs $2,095 per month in Totnes and $778 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Totnes, 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 Totnes at $2,260. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Totnes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $2,260 in Totnes. 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, Totnes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.