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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,676 in Ballarat versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,749 in Ballarat versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,823 in Ballarat versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ballarat is roughly 95% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballarat is 25% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.18 A$20.29

$1.96 ฿65.7

623.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 A$92.0

$18.35 ฿616

250.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.94

$7.48 ฿251

30.08%

Cappuccino

$3.55 A$5.09

$2.02 ฿67.7

75.74%

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

$2.53 A$3.62

$0.85 ฿28.45

197.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 A$2.89

$0.36 ฿11.94

461.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 A$8.63

$2.14 ฿71.7

181.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 A$10.03

$3.59 ฿121

95.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.65 ฿55.4

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.68

$1.57 ฿52.6

63.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 A$2.21

$1.19 ฿39.95

29.41%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.12

$1.94 ฿65.0

120.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 A$12.62

$16.19 ฿544

-45.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 A$13.56

$2.99 ฿100

216.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.83

$10.94 ฿367

33.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.67

$2.71 ฿91.0

20.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$1.17 ฿39.18

140.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.13

$1.69 ฿56.6

71.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 A$5.56

$1.60 ฿53.9

142.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.85

$1.38 ฿46.45

94.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.33

$1.20 ฿40.38

94.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$0.67 ฿22.46

226.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 A$1.49

$0.56 ฿18.70

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.14 A$44.58

$4.64 ฿156

571.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.95

$17.62 ฿591

-20.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.07

$1.86 ฿62.4

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 A$4.15

$3.30 ฿111

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 A$2.45

$0.88 ฿29.63

94.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 A$92.6

$19.34 ฿649

234.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 A$3.33

$1.36 ฿45.82

70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.34 ฿44.90

-14.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 A$35.67

$8.21 ฿276

203.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.64

$1.22 ฿41.11

-6.56%

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

$27.8K A$39.8K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

30.16%

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

$23.1K A$33.1K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

2.75%

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

$153 A$219

$70.7 ฿2,372

116.19%

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

$20.80 A$29.78

$14.04 ฿471

48.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 A$71.8

$17.49 ฿587

186.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 A$46.26

$42.15 ฿1,415

-23.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.46 A$22.14

$6.88 ฿231

124.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 A$16.05

$5.92 ฿199

89.36%

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

$321 A$460

$309 ฿10.4K

4.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K A$27.2K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

27.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 A$94.2

$55.8 ฿1,872

17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 A$76.0

$26.11 ฿877

103.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 A$123

$83.0 ฿2,787

3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 A$130

$70.5 ฿2,365

28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 A$1,231

$432 ฿14.5K

99.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 A$904

$239 ฿8,020

164.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 A$2,943

$822 ฿27.6K

149.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 A$1,918

$512 ฿17.2K

161.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 A$6,629

$1,915 ฿64.3K

141.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 A$4,877

$1,467 ฿49.3K

132.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,172 A$4,542

$579 ฿19.4K

447.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

21.40%

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

Last update for Ballarat: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Ballarat and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 448% 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: $64.0 in Ballarat vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $243 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Ballarat. 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 448% higher in Ballarat, 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: $860 in Ballarat versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Ballarat versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ballarat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,676 in Ballarat, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ballarat. 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 $861 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ballarat 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 95% less than in Ballarat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.