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Chiang Mai vs Edinburgh cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
At a glance
- Where Chiang Mai is clearly cheaper: Laundry (91%↓), Massage (91%↓), Local meal (87%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Edinburgh is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.4). Biggest gap: language — Chiang Mai 3 vs Edinburgh 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Chiang Mai | Edinburgh | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 80$2.42 | £ 14$18.9 | Chiang Mai −87% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 50$1.52 | £ 5.5$7.43 | Chiang Mai −80% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 400$12.1 | £ 30$40.5 | Chiang Mai −70% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 75$2.27 | £ 3.8$5.14 | Chiang Mai −56% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 85$2.58 | £ 5.5$7.43 | Chiang Mai −65% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 180$5.45 | £ 9$12.2 | Chiang Mai −55% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 10$0.3 | £ 1.2$1.62 | Chiang Mai −81% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 20$0.61 | £ 1.8$2.43 | Chiang Mai −75% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 100$3.03 | £ 11$14.9 | Chiang Mai −80% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 60$1.82 | £ 7$9.46 | Chiang Mai −81% |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 30$0.91 | £ 2.4$3.24 | Chiang Mai −72% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 250$7.58 | £ 20$27 | Chiang Mai −72% |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 1,100$33.3 | £ 120$162 | Chiang Mai −79% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 10,500$318 | £ 1,050$1,419 | Chiang Mai −78% |
| Laundry | ฿ 35$1.06 | £ 9$12.2 | Chiang Mai −91% |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 299$9.06 | £ 10$13.5 | Chiang Mai −33% |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 150$4.55 | £ 18$24.3 | Chiang Mai −81% |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 250$7.58 | £ 60$81.1 | Chiang Mai −91% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 800$24.2 | £ 40$54.1 | Chiang Mai −55% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 145$4.39 | £ 21.5$29.1 | 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, Chiang Mai or Edinburgh?
Chiang Mai is 78% cheaper than Edinburgh. Daily budget $66.9 vs $313; a month $1,232 vs $5,475.
Which is easier to travel, Chiang Mai or Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is easier: Edinburgh 1.6/5 vs Chiang Mai 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chiang Mai and Edinburgh?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chiang Mai is about $1,232 and Edinburgh about $5,475 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.