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: $2,607 in Broken Hill versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,702 in Broken Hill versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,797 in Broken Hill versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Broken Hill is roughly 180% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Broken Hill is 91% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 A$24.96

$2.08 ฿69.1

756.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 A$115

$19.61 ฿651

319.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 A$15.56

$5.67 ฿188

95.94%

Cappuccino

$4.64 A$6.50

$1.81 ฿59.9

156.35%

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

$2.93 A$4.10

$0.77 ฿25.51

280.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.50

$0.35 ฿11.46

614.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 A$10.09

$2.21 ฿73.5

226.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.64

$3.79 ฿126

119.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.17

$2.05 ฿68.0

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 A$3.95

$1.51 ฿50.3

86.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.64

$1.40 ฿46.44

85.71%

Eggs

$4.66 A$6.53

$2.26 ฿75.0

106.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.28

$16.19 ฿538

-45.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$2.90 ฿96.2

188.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 A$21.87

$9.42 ฿313

65.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 A$5.94

$2.68 ฿88.9

58.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.21

$1.09 ฿36.18

176.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.51

$1.62 ฿53.7

98.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.81

$1.46 ฿48.48

184.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.23

$1.28 ฿42.42

135.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.62

$1.06 ฿35.12

143.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 A$3.81

$0.72 ฿23.81

277.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 A$2.44

$0.53 ฿17.46

228.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.23 A$53.5

$4.23 ฿140

803.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 A$18.22

$18.29 ฿607

-28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.46 A$7.64

$1.63 ฿54.1

234.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.39

$2.90 ฿96.3

81.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 A$4.32

$0.88 ฿29.16

251.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 A$116

$53.8 ฿1,785

54.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 A$5.38

$1.17 ฿38.93

228.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$0.58 ฿19.20

201.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.71 A$51.4

$2.39 ฿79.2

1435.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.89

$1.45 ฿48.15

-6.90%

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

$30.4K A$42.5K

$21.0K ฿697.6K

44.55%

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

$27.3K A$38.3K

$26.4K ฿877.3K

3.42%

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

$211 A$296

$63.7 ฿2,113

231.81%

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

$31.00 A$43.42

$12.89 ฿428

140.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 A$85.4

$20.52 ฿681

197.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$79.6

$39.02 ฿1,295

45.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 A$27.04

$3.92 ฿130

392.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.42 A$20.20

$6.58 ฿218

119.15%

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

$1,941 A$2,718

$784 ฿26.0K

147.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K A$30.6K

$14.7K ฿487.1K

49.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 A$116

$55.1 ฿1,830

49.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 A$84.5

$24.74 ฿821

143.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$167

$94.1 ฿3,125

26.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$159

$74.0 ฿2,455

53.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,711

$490 ฿16.3K

149.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 A$1,587

$288 ฿9,568

293.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,562 A$3,588

$891 ฿29.6K

187.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 A$2,706

$521 ฿17.3K

270.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,023 A$8,436

$1,974 ฿65.5K

205.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,716 A$8,006

$1,444 ฿48.0K

295.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

5.57

5.39%

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

Last update for Broken Hill: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Broken Hill and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Broken Hill vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 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 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,911 in Broken Hill and $1,398 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: $1,222 in Broken Hill versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,941 in Broken Hill versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Broken Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,607 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 180% less than in Broken Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.