Cost of Living Comparison Between Broken Hill and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Broken Hill and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,267 in Broken Hill versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,290 in Broken Hill versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,312 in Broken Hill versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Broken Hill is roughly 161% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Broken Hill is 69% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 A$23.40

$1.98 ฿64.3

736.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 A$111

$18.80 ฿612

317.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 A$14.13

$7.75 ฿252

29.03%

Cappuccino

$3.36 A$4.74

$1.92 ฿62.5

75.00%

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

$2.64 A$3.73

$0.79 ฿25.79

234.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.01

$0.36 ฿11.62

491.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 A$9.31

$2.21 ฿72.1

198.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$10.02

$3.66 ฿119

93.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.08

$1.65 ฿53.8

-10.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 A$3.40

$1.63 ฿53.2

47.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.89

$1.19 ฿38.86

72.27%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$2.00 ฿65.1

115.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 A$11.98

$15.98 ฿520

-46.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.10

$3.03 ฿98.5

182.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 A$19.29

$10.86 ฿354

25.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.69

$2.76 ฿90.0

20.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.84

$1.18 ฿38.42

130.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.11

$1.64 ฿53.5

77.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.70

$1.52 ฿49.51

165.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.41

$1.38 ฿45.10

74.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 A$2.95

$1.19 ฿38.84

75.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.97

$0.70 ฿22.86

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.16

$0.56 ฿18.13

173.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.98 A$43.77

$4.58 ฿149

576.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 A$21.70

$16.56 ฿539

-7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.58

$1.83 ฿59.5

154.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 A$7.68

$3.20 ฿104

69.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 A$3.74

$0.88 ฿28.56

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 A$91.8

$18.72 ฿610

247.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.03

$1.36 ฿44.16

161.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.26

$1.34 ฿43.65

19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.85 A$47.83

$7.84 ฿256

331.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.23 ฿39.92

-4.07%

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

$29.3K A$41.4K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

35.62%

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

$22.1K A$31.3K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-1.88%

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

$186 A$263

$70.5 ฿2,298

163.95%

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

$27.88 A$39.39

$13.68 ฿445

103.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$75.0

$17.45 ฿568

204.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 A$67.7

$41.33 ฿1,346

15.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 A$22.44

$6.96 ฿227

128.16%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 A$18.22

$5.77 ฿188

123.57%

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

$1,628 A$2,300

$307 ฿10.0K

430.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$16.9K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-17.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 A$94.5

$55.8 ฿1,817

19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$72.3

$26.21 ฿854

95.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$143

$85.8 ฿2,793

18.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$153

$72.2 ฿2,353

50.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 A$1,766

$430 ฿14.0K

190.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 A$1,513

$239 ฿7,774

348.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 A$2,851

$817 ฿26.6K

146.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 A$2,369

$511 ฿16.6K

228.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,662 A$8,000

$1,983 ฿64.6K

185.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,313 A$7,507

$1,484 ฿48.3K

258.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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 Broken Hill: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Broken Hill and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Broken Hill vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $241 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

Broken Hill 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 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,401 in Broken Hill and $1,303 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: $1,250 in Broken Hill versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,628 in Broken Hill versus $307 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Broken Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $2,267 in Broken Hill, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Broken Hill. 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 Broken Hill, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Broken Hill 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 161% less than in Broken Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.