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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Berwick versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,278 in Berwick versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,314 in Berwick versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Berwick is roughly 160% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Berwick is 68% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 A$23.24

$1.96 ฿65.9

727.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 A$111

$18.35 ฿617

323.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 A$13.66

$7.48 ฿252

27.41%

Cappuccino

$3.48 A$4.99

$2.02 ฿67.8

72.28%

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

$2.60 A$3.73

$0.85 ฿28.52

205.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 A$3.03

$0.36 ฿11.97

488.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.50

$2.14 ฿71.9

209.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 A$10.46

$3.59 ฿121

103.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$2.04

$1.65 ฿55.5

-13.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 A$3.33

$1.57 ฿52.7

47.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.79

$1.19 ฿40.05

63.03%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.11

$1.94 ฿65.1

120.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 A$12.26

$16.19 ฿545

-47.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 A$12.09

$2.99 ฿101

182.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 A$19.83

$10.94 ฿368

26.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

$2.71 ฿91.2

22.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 A$3.89

$1.17 ฿39.27

131.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.08

$1.69 ฿56.8

68.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$6.02

$1.60 ฿54.0

162.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.59

$1.38 ฿46.56

81.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.98

$1.20 ฿40.47

73.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 A$3.09

$0.67 ฿22.51

220.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.26

$0.56 ฿18.74

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.46 A$43.63

$4.64 ฿156

556.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 A$18.77

$17.62 ฿593

-25.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.71

$1.86 ฿62.6

152.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.47

$3.30 ฿111

57.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.83

$0.88 ฿29.70

203.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$91.9

$19.34 ฿651

231.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 A$5.19

$1.36 ฿45.92

166.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.30

$1.34 ฿45.00

20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.47 A$47.95

$8.21 ฿276

307.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.22 ฿41.20

-2.46%

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

$28.8K A$41.3K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

35.10%

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

$22.7K A$32.5K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

0.76%

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

$181 A$260

$70.7 ฿2,378

156.32%

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

$27.56 A$39.49

$14.04 ฿472

96.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 A$75.7

$17.49 ฿589

202.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.60 A$69.6

$42.15 ฿1,418

15.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 A$22.68

$6.88 ฿231

130.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.25 A$18.99

$5.92 ฿199

123.82%

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

$1,613 A$2,311

$309 ฿10.4K

422.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.5K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-17.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 A$95.7

$55.8 ฿1,876

19.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$73.6

$26.11 ฿879

96.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 A$141

$83.0 ฿2,793

18.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$154

$70.5 ฿2,371

52.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 A$1,833

$432 ฿14.5K

196.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 A$1,526

$239 ฿8,040

345.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,840

$822 ฿27.7K

141.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,652 A$2,367

$512 ฿17.2K

222.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$8,063

$1,915 ฿64.4K

193.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,323 A$7,627

$1,467 ฿49.4K

262.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

26.80%

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

Last update for Berwick: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Berwick and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Berwick vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,364 in Berwick and $1,292 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,279 in Berwick versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $78.0 in Berwick. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Berwick versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,243 in Berwick, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Berwick. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Berwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Berwick 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 160% less than in Berwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.