Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,798 in Alice Springs, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
Learn more

Alice Springs Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alice Springs and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alice Springs and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Alice Springs $1,798
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in Alice Springs versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Alice Springs $2,720
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,641 in Alice Springs versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Alice Springs $3,641
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Alice Springs is roughly 94% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alice Springs is 33% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.85

$2.29 ฿76.5

654.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 A$119

$19.64 ฿656

322.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 A$15.40

$5.61 ฿188

90.73%

Cappuccino

$4.28 A$6.16

$1.66 ฿55.6

157.83%

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

$2.87 A$4.13

$0.70 ฿23.40

310.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 A$4.06

$0.31 ฿10.24

809.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 A$9.33

$2.41 ฿80.4

168.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 A$13.72

$3.71 ฿124

157.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.05

$1.95 ฿65.3

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 A$3.03

$1.41 ฿47.03

48.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.57

$1.31 ฿43.62

35.88%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.33

$2.18 ฿72.9

133.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 A$14.63

$16.65 ฿556

-38.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.94

$2.76 ฿92.2

200.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 A$20.87

$9.11 ฿304

59.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.53

$2.39 ฿80.0

60.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$1.03 ฿34.26

191.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.78

$1.63 ฿54.4

61.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.86

$1.50 ฿50.0

356.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.58

$1.29 ฿43.13

93.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.28

$1.11 ฿37.03

105.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$0.72 ฿24.08

237.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.40

$0.53 ฿17.59

345.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.22 A$40.60

$4.31 ฿144

554.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$17.95 ฿600

-23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 A$4.64

$1.58 ฿52.9

103.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 A$8.04

$2.84 ฿95.0

96.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.02

$0.86 ฿28.86

224.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 A$99.1

$53.3 ฿1,780

29.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 A$6.97

$1.21 ฿40.29

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.24

$0.57 ฿18.99

171.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.74 A$39.92

$2.35 ฿78.6

1080.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$1.44 ฿47.96

-6.25%

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

$37.6K A$54.1K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

81.43%

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

$23.0K A$33.0K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-14.31%

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

$213 A$306

$62.3 ฿2,083

240.99%

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

$28.21 A$40.59

$12.11 ฿405

132.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.86 A$66.0

$19.94 ฿666

129.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$81.9

$37.07 ฿1,239

53.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 A$25.83

$3.78 ฿126

374.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 A$20.06

$6.50 ฿217

114.46%

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

$1,941 A$2,793

$793 ฿26.5K

144.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

38.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$105

$53.7 ฿1,796

36.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.03 A$17.31

$24.62 ฿823

-51.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 A$198

$90.9 ฿3,036

51.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$71.1 ฿2,378

68.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 A$2,022

$455 ฿15.2K

208.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 A$746

$298 ฿9,954

74.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 A$1,823

$908 ฿30.4K

39.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 A$1,101

$554 ฿18.5K

38.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,502 A$6,478

$1,931 ฿64.5K

133.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,696 A$6,757

$1,445 ฿48.3K

225.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,301 A$6,189

$591 ฿19.7K

627.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.57

5.92%

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

Last update for Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alice Springs

$518 28.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 42.6% $221

Groceries & Markets

Alice Springs

$365 20.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 35.5% $130

Eating Out

Alice Springs

$296 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 73.4% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alice Springs

$287 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 67.1% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Alice Springs

$154 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 29.9% $46

Getting Around

Alice Springs

$93 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 34.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Alice Springs

$85 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 41% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,405 in Alice Springs and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 628% 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: $83.0 in Alice Springs vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

2 h 30 min behind Alice Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,855

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alice Springs Chiang Mai 6,050 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Alice Springs
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Alice Springs vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Alice Springs. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 628% higher in Alice Springs, 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: $1,405 in Alice Springs versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Alice Springs. 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 $20.00 versus $83.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,798 in Alice Springs, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alice Springs. 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 $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alice Springs 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 94% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.