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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,174 in Blacktown versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,171 in Blacktown versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,167 in Blacktown versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Blacktown is roughly 155% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Blacktown is 63% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.52 A$13.68

$2.04 ฿68.4

366.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 A$129

$18.71 ฿626

378.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 A$10.02

$7.86 ฿263

-11.32%

Cappuccino

$2.85 A$4.09

$2.03 ฿67.9

40.39%

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

$1.77 A$2.54

$0.80 ฿26.71

121.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.32

$0.35 ฿11.71

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.25

$2.14 ฿71.7

200.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 A$10.49

$3.67 ฿123

98.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 A$1.34

$1.73 ฿57.8

-46.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 A$1.43

$1.57 ฿52.5

-36.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 A$1.27

$1.20 ฿40.10

-25.83%

Eggs

$2.66 A$3.83

$1.97 ฿66.0

35.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$14.27

$16.23 ฿543

-38.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 A$13.16

$3.06 ฿102

199.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 A$20.86

$10.80 ฿361

34.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.70

$2.77 ฿92.6

18.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.21

$1.17 ฿39.05

150.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.45

$1.71 ฿57.1

81.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.48

$1.59 ฿53.3

140.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.39

$1.39 ฿46.63

69.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.89

$1.16 ฿38.67

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 A$2.50

$0.66 ฿22.11

163.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 A$0.46

$0.52 ฿17.35

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.91 A$37.22

$4.65 ฿155

457.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$19.96

$17.78 ฿595

-21.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.55

$1.79 ฿59.8

193.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 A$8.70

$3.34 ฿112

81.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.83

$0.91 ฿30.35

193.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$93.2

$18.64 ฿624

248.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 A$5.58

$1.41 ฿47.17

175.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 A$2.50

$1.34 ฿44.82

29.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.32 A$59.4

$8.11 ฿271

409.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.62

$1.23 ฿41.27

-8.13%

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

$21.5K A$30.9K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

0.49%

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

$16.6K A$23.8K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

-23.99%

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

$226 A$324

$71.3 ฿2,386

216.36%

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

$29.77 A$42.77

$14.01 ฿469

112.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.33 A$65.1

$17.93 ฿600

152.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.25 A$70.7

$40.82 ฿1,365

20.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 A$22.41

$6.88 ฿230

126.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 A$18.88

$5.72 ฿191

129.90%

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

$1,743 A$2,504

$308 ฿10.3K

465.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-8.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 A$101

$55.8 ฿1,865

25.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 A$80.0

$26.04 ฿871

113.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 A$142

$84.8 ฿2,837

16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 A$164

$71.0 ฿2,375

60.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 A$1,841

$423 ฿14.2K

202.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 A$1,539

$242 ฿8,110

341.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 A$2,924

$797 ฿26.7K

155.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 A$2,388

$507 ฿17.0K

228.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,890 A$9,897

$1,918 ฿64.2K

259.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 A$7,154

$1,464 ฿49.0K

240.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,888 A$2,712

$595 ฿19.9K

217.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

25.80%

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

Last update for Blacktown: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Blacktown and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Blacktown pays 217% 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: $90.0 in Blacktown vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $244 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 217% higher in Blacktown, 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: $1,282 in Blacktown versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 248% less than in Blacktown. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,743 in Blacktown versus $308 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,174 in Blacktown, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Blacktown. 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 Blacktown, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Blacktown 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 155% less than in Blacktown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.