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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,814 in Albury versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,766 in Albury versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,717 in Albury versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Albury is roughly 109% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Albury is 35% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.04 A$22.35

$1.94 ฿63.5

726.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 A$121

$18.64 ฿609

364.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 A$13.82

$7.82 ฿255

26.85%

Cappuccino

$3.48 A$4.85

$1.95 ฿63.8

78.46%

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

$2.65 A$3.70

$0.85 ฿27.77

211.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 A$3.27

$0.35 ฿11.58

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.10

$2.13 ฿69.6

206.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 A$8.97

$3.73 ฿122

72.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 A$1.97

$1.71 ฿56.0

-17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 A$3.57

$1.63 ฿53.2

57.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.49

$1.14 ฿37.15

56.14%

Eggs

$4.12 A$5.74

$1.93 ฿63.1

113.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 A$11.23

$16.21 ฿530

-50.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 A$12.48

$3.12 ฿102

186.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 A$16.19

$10.90 ฿356

6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.38

$2.75 ฿90.0

14.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 A$3.93

$1.21 ฿39.52

133.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.28

$1.62 ฿53.0

89.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.80

$1.59 ฿51.8

206.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.23

$1.40 ฿45.70

65.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.70

$1.17 ฿38.17

65.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$2.95

$0.66 ฿21.60

221.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 A$1.88

$0.53 ฿17.22

154.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.51 A$32.77

$4.69 ฿153

401.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 A$20.70

$18.66 ฿609

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 A$5.75

$1.80 ฿58.8

129.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 A$7.85

$3.23 ฿106

74.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 A$3.53

$0.90 ฿29.26

182.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 A$91.9

$19.21 ฿628

243.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 A$4.58

$1.41 ฿45.91

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 A$2.40

$1.29 ฿42.12

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.75 A$54.0

$7.84 ฿256

394.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.58

$1.27 ฿41.58

-10.24%

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

$28.3K A$39.5K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

33.10%

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

$22.9K A$31.9K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

3.16%

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

$221 A$308

$69.1 ฿2,256

219.83%

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

$29.26 A$40.78

$14.08 ฿460

107.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$73.9

$18.00 ฿588

194.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.44 A$68.9

$41.06 ฿1,341

20.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 A$21.79

$6.96 ฿227

124.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 A$16.71

$5.92 ฿193

102.53%

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

$1,771 A$2,468

$299 ฿9,766

492.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K A$18.7K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-10.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 A$86.0

$54.7 ฿1,787

12.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 A$55.4

$26.77 ฿874

48.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 A$124

$85.0 ฿2,776

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 A$140

$70.6 ฿2,306

42.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 A$1,128

$428 ฿14.0K

89.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 A$858

$237 ฿7,752

159.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 A$1,827

$801 ฿26.2K

63.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 A$1,337

$515 ฿16.8K

86.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,682 A$5,131

$617 ฿20.2K

496.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

25.80%

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

Last update for Albury: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $810 in Albury and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 496% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $87.0 in Albury vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $246 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Albury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Albury pays 496% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $810 in Albury versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Albury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $87.0 in Albury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,814 in Albury, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Albury. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Albury and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Albury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.