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Bristol vs Chiang Mai cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇬🇧 Bristol
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
At a glance
- Where Chiang Mai is clearly cheaper: Local meal (89%↓), Massage (89%↓), Street food (86%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Bristol is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Bristol 1 vs Chiang Mai 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Bristol | Chiang Mai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | £ 16$21.6 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Chiang Mai −89% |
| Street food1 item | £ 8$10.8 | ฿ 50$1.52 | Chiang Mai −86% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | £ 35$47.3 | ฿ 400$12.1 | Chiang Mai −74% |
| Coffeeone cup | £ 4$5.41 | ฿ 75$2.27 | Chiang Mai −58% |
| Beerone bottle | £ 6$8.11 | ฿ 85$2.58 | Chiang Mai −68% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | £ 11$14.9 | ฿ 180$5.45 | Chiang Mai −63% |
| Bottled water | £ 1.2$1.62 | ฿ 10$0.3 | Chiang Mai −81% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | £ 1.9$2.57 | ฿ 20$0.61 | Chiang Mai −76% |
| Taxi5 km in town | £ 10$13.5 | ฿ 100$3.03 | Chiang Mai −78% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | £ 6.5$8.78 | ฿ 60$1.82 | Chiang Mai −79% |
| Transitone ride | £ 2.6$3.51 | ฿ 30$0.91 | Chiang Mai −74% |
| Scooter rentalper day | £ 20$27 | ฿ 250$7.58 | Chiang Mai −72% |
| Hotel night3-star | £ 110$149 | ฿ 1,100$33.3 | Chiang Mai −78% |
| Studio rent (month) | £ 1,230$1,662 | ฿ 10,500$318 | Chiang Mai −81% |
| Laundry | £ 2.1$2.84 | ฿ 35$1.06 | Chiang Mai −63% |
| SIM card1 week data | £ 10$13.5 | ฿ 299$9.06 | Chiang Mai −33% |
| Haircutcut | £ 16$21.6 | ฿ 150$4.55 | Chiang Mai −79% |
| Massage1 hour | £ 50$67.6 | ฿ 250$7.58 | Chiang Mai −89% |
| Half-day tourper person | £ 40$54.1 | ฿ 800$24.2 | Chiang Mai −55% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | £ 22$29.7 | ฿ 145$4.39 | Chiang Mai −85% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bristol or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is 79% cheaper than Bristol. Daily budget $311 vs $66.9; a month $6,237 vs $1,232.
Which is easier to travel, Bristol or Chiang Mai?
Bristol is easier: Bristol 1.4/5 vs Chiang Mai 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bristol and Chiang Mai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bristol is about $6,237 and Chiang Mai about $1,232 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.