Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst, Australia and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,543 in Bathurst, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bathurst

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bathurst 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 Bathurst and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,543 per month in Bathurst vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bathurst $2,543
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,640 per month in Bathurst vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bathurst $3,640
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,737 per month in Bathurst vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bathurst $4,737
Chiang Mai $1,999

Bathurst costs about 172% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bathurst sits 88% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 A$21.64

$2.13 ฿72.0

609.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$121

$18.62 ฿628

355.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 A$15.32

$5.60 ฿189

91.07%

Cappuccino

$3.64 A$5.21

$1.66 ฿56.1

119.28%

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

$2.89 A$4.13

$0.65 ฿21.83

344.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.31

$0.30 ฿10.29

670.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 A$6.81

$2.32 ฿78.4

104.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 A$10.43

$3.67 ฿124

98.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.23

$2.02 ฿68.0

-22.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 A$3.91

$1.41 ฿47.51

93.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.18

$1.39 ฿46.96

59.71%

Eggs

$5.68 A$8.14

$2.37 ฿79.9

139.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 A$14.35

$16.52 ฿557

-39.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 A$13.27

$2.67 ฿90.1

247.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 A$20.15

$9.02 ฿304

56.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$2.40 ฿80.9

79.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$1.04 ฿35.13

204.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 A$5.31

$1.66 ฿56.0

123.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.85

$1.56 ฿52.6

206.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.55

$1.24 ฿41.76

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.37

$1.09 ฿36.66

115.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 A$2.95

$0.76 ฿25.70

171.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.18

$0.51 ฿17.35

198.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.65 A$59.6

$4.12 ฿139

910.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 A$17.65

$17.93 ฿605

-31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.05 A$7.23

$1.62 ฿54.8

211.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 A$6.85

$2.82 ฿95.2

69.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.90 A$4.15

$0.93 ฿31.53

211.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 A$130

$52.9 ฿1,785

72.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 A$5.45

$1.18 ฿39.70

222.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.22

$0.17 ฿5.79

811.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.35 A$53.5

$1.81 ฿61.1

1963.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$1.47 ฿49.69

-8.16%

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

$32.7K A$46.9K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

55.84%

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

$29.9K A$42.7K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

12.60%

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

$209 A$300

$62.6 ฿2,111

234.78%

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

$41.21 A$59.0

$11.60 ฿392

255.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$89.3

$20.30 ฿685

207.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 A$85.1

$37.88 ฿1,278

56.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.94 A$28.55

$3.70 ฿125

438.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 A$21.07

$6.51 ฿220

126.11%

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

$2,312 A$3,310

$727 ฿24.5K

218.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K A$33.7K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

42.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 A$109

$53.5 ฿1,807

42.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$24.80 ฿837

119.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$156

$90.4 ฿3,050

20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$162

$72.0 ฿2,428

57.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 A$2,003

$481 ฿16.2K

190.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 A$1,777

$310 ฿10.5K

300.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 A$3,263

$1,058 ฿35.7K

115.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 A$2,599

$659 ฿22.2K

175.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,922 A$8,478

$2,418 ฿81.6K

144.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,559 A$6,526

$1,609 ฿54.3K

183.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.57

6.10%

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

Last update for Bathurst: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bathurst

$1.2K 48.8%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75% $931

Groceries & Markets

Bathurst

$371 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 36.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bathurst

$313 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 69.8% $219

Eating Out

Bathurst

$256 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 70.1% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Bathurst

$159 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 31.8% $51

Getting Around

Bathurst

$114 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 48.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Bathurst

$89 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 42.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,399 in Bathurst versus $481 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 $85 in Bathurst versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bathurst

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

4 h behind Bathurst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,230

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Bathurst Chiang Mai 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bathurst
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

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

Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 172%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,814 per month in Bathurst and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,399 in Bathurst.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,312 per month in Bathurst and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,543 in Bathurst and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 63% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.