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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,536 per month in Bathurst vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,709 per month in Bathurst vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,881 per month in Bathurst vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bathurst costs about 168% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bathurst sits 85% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 A$22.12

$2.08 ฿68.4

668.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 A$120

$19.64 ฿644

341.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 A$14.86

$5.65 ฿186

89.91%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.32

$1.81 ฿59.2

112.15%

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

$2.84 A$3.93

$0.71 ฿23.40

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.27

$0.32 ฿10.36

637.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 A$6.86

$2.24 ฿73.4

121.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.28

$3.63 ฿119

104.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 A$2.81

$1.96 ฿64.3

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.85

$1.50 ฿49.29

85.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.02

$1.34 ฿43.84

62.69%

Eggs

$5.26 A$7.28

$2.26 ฿74.3

132.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.18

$16.26 ฿533

-41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.44

$2.95 ฿96.9

228.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 A$21.14

$9.94 ฿326

53.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 A$5.33

$2.57 ฿84.4

49.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.23

$1.06 ฿34.66

187.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.56

$1.61 ฿52.9

104.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 A$6.43

$1.52 ฿49.86

205.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.66

$1.27 ฿41.68

108.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.49

$1.07 ฿34.99

135.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.44

$0.72 ฿23.63

244.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.25

$0.51 ฿16.69

219.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.30 A$55.8

$4.19 ฿138

861.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$19.46

$17.87 ฿586

-21.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.93 A$6.83

$1.69 ฿55.6

191.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.48

$2.84 ฿93.1

90.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 A$4.17

$0.93 ฿30.36

223.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 A$116

$53.9 ฿1,767

54.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$4.93

$1.23 ฿40.50

189.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.29

$0.58 ฿18.92

184.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 A$56.0

$2.42 ฿79.5

1572.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.81

$1.41 ฿46.34

-7.09%

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

$28.3K A$39.2K

$21.4K ฿703.6K

32.04%

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

$31.1K A$43.1K

$27.3K ฿896.8K

13.90%

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

$209 A$290

$63.7 ฿2,089

229.01%

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

$42.09 A$58.3

$12.85 ฿422

227.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 A$86.9

$20.22 ฿663

210.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$78.8

$38.74 ฿1,271

46.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 A$25.24

$3.97 ฿130

359.19%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 A$21.37

$6.74 ฿221

128.93%

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

$2,201 A$3,047

$778 ฿25.5K

182.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$29.1K

$14.6K ฿479.4K

43.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 A$110

$54.3 ฿1,781

45.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$76.1

$25.45 ฿835

115.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$151

$94.3 ฿3,095

15.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$175

$73.4 ฿2,410

71.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 A$1,966

$490 ฿16.1K

189.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 A$1,729

$289 ฿9,492

331.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 A$3,160

$894 ฿29.3K

155.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 A$2,621

$517 ฿17.0K

266.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,559 A$9,081

$1,955 ฿64.1K

235.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,240 A$7,255

$1,477 ฿48.5K

254.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.57

4.31%

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

Last update for Bathurst: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,420 in Bathurst versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Bathurst versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $240 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 168%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,803 per month in Bathurst and $1,421 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,201 per month in Bathurst and $778 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Bathurst at $2,536. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bathurst it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bathurst makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.