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Chiang Mai vs London cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇬🇧 London
At a glance
- Where Chiang Mai is clearly cheaper: Massage (91%↓), Entry ticket (90%↓), Local meal (89%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
London is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.4). Biggest gap: language — Chiang Mai 3 vs London 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Chiang Mai | London | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ฿ 80$2.42 | £ 17$23 | Chiang Mai −89% |
| Street food1 item | ฿ 50$1.52 | £ 10$13.5 | Chiang Mai −89% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ฿ 400$12.1 | £ 38$51.4 | Chiang Mai −76% |
| Coffeeone cup | ฿ 75$2.27 | £ 3.7$5 | Chiang Mai −55% |
| Beerone bottle | ฿ 85$2.58 | £ 6.8$9.19 | Chiang Mai −72% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ฿ 180$5.45 | £ 13$17.6 | Chiang Mai −69% |
| Bottled water | ฿ 10$0.3 | £ 1.3$1.76 | Chiang Mai −83% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ฿ 20$0.61 | £ 2$2.7 | Chiang Mai −78% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ฿ 100$3.03 | £ 16$21.6 | Chiang Mai −86% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ฿ 60$1.82 | £ 9$12.2 | Chiang Mai −85% |
| Transitone ride | ฿ 30$0.91 | £ 1.75$2.36 | Chiang Mai −62% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ฿ 250$7.58 | £ 25$33.8 | Chiang Mai −78% |
| Hotel night3-star | ฿ 1,100$33.3 | £ 180$243 | Chiang Mai −86% |
| Studio rent (month) | ฿ 10,500$318 | £ 1,900$2,568 | Chiang Mai −88% |
| Laundry | ฿ 35$1.06 | £ 3$4.05 | Chiang Mai −74% |
| SIM card1 week data | ฿ 299$9.06 | £ 10$13.5 | Chiang Mai −33% |
| Haircutcut | ฿ 150$4.55 | £ 25$33.8 | Chiang Mai −87% |
| Massage1 hour | ฿ 250$7.58 | £ 65$87.8 | Chiang Mai −91% |
| Half-day tourper person | ฿ 800$24.2 | £ 50$67.6 | Chiang Mai −64% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ฿ 145$4.39 | £ 32$43.2 | Chiang Mai −90% |
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 London?
Chiang Mai is 85% cheaper than London. Daily budget $66.9 vs $438; a month $1,232 vs $8,616.
Which is easier to travel, Chiang Mai or London?
London is easier: London 1.4/5 vs Chiang Mai 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chiang Mai and London?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chiang Mai is about $1,232 and London about $8,616 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.