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: $2,233 in Brookvale versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Brookvale versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Brookvale versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brookvale is roughly 162% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brookvale is 68% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 A$22.99

$2.04 ฿68.2

691.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$113

$18.71 ฿625

324.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 A$13.79

$7.86 ฿262

23.28%

Cappuccino

$3.40 A$4.84

$2.03 ฿67.7

67.49%

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

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.80 ฿26.66

210.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 A$2.73

$0.35 ฿11.69

448.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 A$8.99

$2.14 ฿71.6

194.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 A$10.32

$3.67 ฿122

97.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.08

$1.73 ฿57.7

-15.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.80

$1.57 ฿52.5

70.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 A$2.63

$1.20 ฿40.03

54.17%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.06

$1.97 ฿65.9

116.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 A$12.78

$16.23 ฿542

-44.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.25

$3.06 ฿102

181.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 A$19.84

$10.80 ฿361

29.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.65

$2.77 ฿92.4

18.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.90

$1.17 ฿38.98

134.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$1.71 ฿57.0

74.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 A$6.60

$1.59 ฿53.2

191.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.24

$1.39 ฿46.55

63.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.25

$1.16 ฿38.60

96.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 A$3.19

$0.66 ฿22.07

239.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.84

$0.52 ฿17.32

148.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$43.52

$4.65 ฿155

557.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 A$19.53

$17.78 ฿594

-22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.64

$1.79 ฿59.7

160.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.40

$3.34 ฿112

55.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.63

$0.91 ฿30.30

180.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 A$93.8

$18.64 ฿623

253.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 A$5.49

$1.41 ฿47.08

173.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.34 ฿44.74

15.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.85 A$58.2

$8.11 ฿271

403.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.23 ฿41.19

-6.50%

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

$28.3K A$40.3K

$21.4K ฿715.7K

32.21%

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

$22.1K A$31.4K

$21.8K ฿728.7K

1.22%

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

$202 A$288

$71.3 ฿2,382

183.86%

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

$29.71 A$42.30

$14.01 ฿468

112.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 A$76.3

$17.93 ฿599

199.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.82 A$69.5

$40.82 ฿1,363

19.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 A$22.66

$6.88 ฿230

131.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 A$19.56

$5.72 ฿191

140.21%

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

$1,733 A$2,466

$308 ฿10.3K

462.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K A$19.0K

$14.7K ฿490.1K

-9.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 A$99.3

$55.8 ฿1,862

25.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 A$80.6

$26.04 ฿869

117.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 A$142

$84.8 ฿2,832

17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 A$162

$71.0 ฿2,370

59.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 A$1,316

$423 ฿14.1K

118.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 A$1,488

$242 ฿8,095

331.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 A$2,899

$797 ฿26.6K

155.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 A$2,406

$507 ฿16.9K

233.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,108 A$8,694

$1,918 ฿64.1K

218.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,999 A$7,116

$1,464 ฿48.9K

241.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,379 A$1,963

$595 ฿19.9K

131.76%

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 Brookvale: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $924 in Brookvale and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brookvale pays 132% 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: $79.0 in Brookvale vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 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

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

Brookvale and Chiang Mai differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($2,233 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $924 in Brookvale versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,233 per month in Brookvale versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 162% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 254% less than in Brookvale. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,233 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 162% less than in Brookvale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.