Cost of Living Comparison Between Bardwell Park, NSW and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Bardwell Park, NSW and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,629 in Bardwell Park, NSW versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,754 in Bardwell Park, NSW versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,878 in Bardwell Park, NSW versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bardwell Park, NSW is roughly 177% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bardwell Park, NSW is 91% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 A$24.57

$2.10 ฿69.3

739.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 A$118

$19.84 ฿656

325.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 A$14.71

$5.79 ฿191

82.21%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.71

$1.83 ฿60.4

123.50%

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

$3.01 A$4.20

$0.78 ฿25.61

285.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 A$3.13

$0.31 ฿10.37

622.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 A$11.23

$2.34 ฿77.2

244.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.71 A$10.75

$3.70 ฿122

108.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.31

$2.03 ฿67.1

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 A$3.82

$1.60 ฿52.7

71.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.27

$1.42 ฿46.75

65.49%

Eggs

$5.15 A$7.18

$2.18 ฿71.9

136.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 A$13.43

$15.91 ฿526

-39.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.07

$3.07 ฿102

205.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$20.72

$9.87 ฿326

50.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 A$5.01

$2.63 ฿86.8

36.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.34

$1.10 ฿36.19

183.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.58

$1.63 ฿53.8

101.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 A$6.59

$1.53 ฿50.6

208.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.82

$1.24 ฿41.13

120.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.50

$1.13 ฿37.37

122.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.38

$0.74 ฿24.38

227.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.36

$0.50 ฿16.48

238.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.01 A$55.8

$4.28 ฿141

834.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 A$19.71

$17.97 ฿594

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.26

$1.70 ฿56.1

206.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.53

$2.90 ฿95.7

86.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 A$4.46

$0.94 ฿31.13

240.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 A$122

$55.3 ฿1,827

58.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.87

$1.23 ฿40.76

183.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.26

$0.53 ฿17.66

205.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.66 A$58.1

$2.40 ฿79.3

1635.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.74

$1.44 ฿47.55

-13.19%

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

$27.8K A$38.7K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

31.05%

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

$31.4K A$43.8K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

15.17%

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

$214 A$298

$64.9 ฿2,145

229.39%

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

$28.24 A$39.37

$13.35 ฿441

111.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 A$81.5

$20.83 ฿688

180.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 A$80.8

$40.42 ฿1,336

43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 A$25.50

$3.95 ฿131

363.04%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.34

$6.71 ฿222

138.75%

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

$2,214 A$3,087

$787 ฿26.0K

181.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$29.3K

$15.1K ฿499.6K

39.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$109

$56.2 ฿1,858

39.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$77.3

$24.95 ฿824

122.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$161

$92.7 ฿3,063

24.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$177

$75.1 ฿2,482

69.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 A$2,003

$484 ฿16.0K

197.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 A$1,774

$287 ฿9,491

342.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,185

$910 ฿30.1K

151.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 A$2,658

$531 ฿17.5K

259.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,712 A$9,358

$1,980 ฿65.4K

239.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,197 A$7,245

$1,451 ฿47.9K

258.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,645 A$7,870

$605 ฿20.0K

832.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

5.57

5.03%

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

Last update for Bardwell Park, NSW: September 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,437 in Bardwell Park, NSW and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bardwell Park, NSW pays 833% 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: $84.0 in Bardwell Park, NSW vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $242 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

Bardwell Park, NSW vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 177% lower than in Bardwell Park, NSW. 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 833% higher in Bardwell Park, NSW, 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: $1,437 in Bardwell Park, NSW versus $484 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 Bardwell Park, NSW. 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 $84.0 in Bardwell Park, NSW. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $2,629 in Bardwell Park, NSW, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bardwell Park, NSW. 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 $950 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bardwell Park, NSW 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 177% less than in Bardwell Park, NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.