Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Chiang Mai $1,903

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

Brisbane sits 86% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$25.02

$2.29 ฿76.5

659.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$102

$19.64 ฿656

260.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.95

$5.61 ฿188

97.68%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$1.66 ฿55.6

166.87%

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

$2.90 A$4.17

$0.70 ฿23.40

314.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$0.31 ฿10.24

683.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$12.12

$2.41 ฿80.4

249.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.96

$3.71 ฿124

123.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.40

$1.95 ฿65.3

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.92

$1.41 ฿47.03

92.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$1.31 ฿43.62

74.81%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.94

$2.18 ฿72.9

121.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$16.65 ฿556

-45.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$2.76 ฿92.2

232.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.45

$9.11 ฿304

55.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.20

$2.39 ฿80.0

80.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.03 ฿34.26

195.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$1.63 ฿54.4

84.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.84

$1.50 ฿50.0

216.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.92

$1.29 ฿43.13

110.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.37

$1.11 ฿37.03

110.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$0.72 ฿24.08

236.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$0.53 ฿17.59

124.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.7

$4.31 ฿144

797.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$17.95 ฿600

-29.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$1.58 ฿52.9

241.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$2.84 ฿95.0

80.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.53

$0.86 ฿28.86

-56.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.81

$53.3 ฿1,780

-61.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.20

$1.21 ฿40.29

141.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.68

$0.57 ฿18.99

226.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$59.1

$2.35 ฿78.6

1646.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.44 ฿47.96

-2.78%

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

$29.7K A$42.8K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

43.49%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-3.11%

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

$159 A$229

$62.3 ฿2,083

155.29%

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

$26.52 A$38.16

$12.11 ฿405

118.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$87.2

$19.94 ฿666

203.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$87.6

$37.07 ฿1,239

64.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.97

$3.78 ฿126

487.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.34

$6.50 ฿217

117.54%

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

$1,952 A$2,808

$793 ฿26.5K

146.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.3K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-14.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$120

$53.7 ฿1,796

54.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.9

$24.62 ฿823

77.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$163

$90.9 ฿3,036

24.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$160

$71.1 ฿2,378

55.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$455 ฿15.2K

325.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,902

$298 ฿9,954

343.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,904

$908 ฿30.4K

275.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,226

$554 ฿18.5K

304.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.9K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

328.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,518

$1,445 ฿48.3K

309.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$6,020

$591 ฿19.7K

608.02%

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 Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 77.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 35.1% $127

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 74.3% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 61.7% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 31.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 43.8% $39

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 76.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $455 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.

Salaries run about 608% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

07:52 7:52 AM

3 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Chiang Mai 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
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

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

Brisbane costs about 172% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Brisbane and $1,388 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.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Brisbane at $2,518. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,518 in Brisbane. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.