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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,617 in Brookvale versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,714 in Brookvale versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,810 in Brookvale versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brookvale is roughly 181% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.43

$2.08 ฿69.1

773.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.8 A$127

$19.61 ฿651

363.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$14.96

$5.67 ฿188

88.36%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.59

$1.81 ฿59.9

120.44%

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

$2.87 A$4.03

$0.77 ฿25.51

272.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.17

$0.35 ฿11.46

545.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 A$10.93

$2.21 ฿73.5

252.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$9.93

$3.79 ฿126

87.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 A$2.23

$2.05 ฿68.0

-22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.81

$1.51 ฿50.3

80.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.28

$1.40 ฿46.44

67.14%

Eggs

$5.59 A$7.83

$2.26 ฿75.0

147.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 A$17.70

$16.19 ฿538

-21.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 A$13.58

$2.90 ฿96.2

234.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.13 A$22.59

$9.42 ฿313

71.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 A$5.74

$2.68 ฿88.9

52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.30

$1.09 ฿36.18

181.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 A$4.89

$1.62 ฿53.7

115.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 A$7.10

$1.46 ฿48.48

247.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.54

$1.28 ฿42.42

153.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.96

$1.06 ฿35.12

166.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.32

$0.72 ฿23.81

229.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 A$2.04

$0.53 ฿17.46

175.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.78 A$64.1

$4.23 ฿140

982.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.52 A$20.33

$18.29 ฿607

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.12 A$5.77

$1.63 ฿54.1

152.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 A$5.66

$2.90 ฿96.3

39.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.59

$0.88 ฿29.16

272.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 A$114

$53.8 ฿1,785

51.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.89

$1.17 ฿38.93

198.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.25

$0.58 ฿19.20

177.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.51 A$56.7

$2.39 ฿79.2

1594.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.88

$1.45 ฿48.15

-7.59%

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

$27.9K A$39.1K

$21.0K ฿697.6K

32.82%

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

$30.5K A$42.7K

$26.4K ฿877.3K

15.25%

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

$187 A$262

$63.7 ฿2,113

193.42%

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

$27.88 A$39.04

$12.89 ฿428

116.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$82.1

$20.52 ฿681

185.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 A$85.5

$39.02 ฿1,295

56.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 A$27.61

$3.92 ฿130

403.06%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 A$23.62

$6.58 ฿218

156.23%

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

$2,266 A$3,173

$784 ฿26.0K

189.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$29.7K

$14.7K ฿487.1K

44.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$108

$55.1 ฿1,830

40.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 A$79.6

$24.74 ฿821

129.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$153

$94.1 ฿3,125

16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$182

$74.0 ฿2,455

75.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 A$1,412

$490 ฿16.3K

105.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 A$1,744

$288 ฿9,568

331.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 A$3,131

$891 ฿29.6K

150.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 A$2,563

$521 ฿17.3K

251.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,268 A$8,778

$1,974 ฿65.5K

217.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,121 A$7,172

$1,444 ฿48.0K

254.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,436 A$2,011

$602 ฿20.0K

138.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.57

4.85%

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

Last update for Brookvale: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,009 in Brookvale and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brookvale pays 139% 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: $91.0 in Brookvale vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 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

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

Brookvale and Chiang Mai differ by about 181% in total monthly costs ($2,617 vs $932 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 139% higher in Brookvale, 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: $1,009 in Brookvale versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,617 per month in Brookvale versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 181% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 51% less than in Brookvale. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,617 in Brookvale, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brookvale. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brookvale 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 181% less than in Brookvale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.