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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Bunbury versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,091 in Bunbury versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,192 in Bunbury versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bunbury is roughly 133% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bunbury is 50% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 A$22.72

$2.04 ฿68.2

684.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$112

$18.71 ฿624

320.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 A$14.64

$7.86 ฿262

31.30%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.20

$2.03 ฿67.7

80.30%

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

$2.58 A$3.65

$0.80 ฿26.64

222.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.75

$0.35 ฿11.68

454.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.99

$2.14 ฿71.5

262.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 A$9.31

$3.67 ฿122

78.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 A$1.44

$1.73 ฿57.6

-41.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 A$1.41

$1.57 ฿52.4

-36.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.67

$1.20 ฿39.99

56.67%

Eggs

$4.53 A$6.42

$1.97 ฿65.8

129.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.84

$16.23 ฿541

-48.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 A$11.15

$3.06 ฿102

156.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 A$11.09

$10.80 ฿360

-27.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 A$4.81

$2.77 ฿92.3

22.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$1.17 ฿38.94

160.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.79

$1.71 ฿57.0

56.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.21

$1.59 ฿53.2

175.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.39 ฿46.51

74.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 A$2.41

$1.16 ฿38.56

46.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 A$2.37

$0.66 ฿22.05

153.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 A$1.04

$0.52 ฿17.31

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.24 A$34.40

$4.65 ฿155

421.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 A$10.12

$17.78 ฿593

-59.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 A$5.41

$1.79 ฿59.6

112.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$5.98

$3.34 ฿111

26.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 A$3.71

$0.91 ฿30.27

186.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 A$74.1

$18.64 ฿622

180.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 A$5.49

$1.41 ฿47.04

174.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 A$3.12

$1.34 ฿44.70

64.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 A$45.86

$8.11 ฿270

298.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.65

$1.23 ฿41.16

-4.88%

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

$19.7K A$28.0K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

-7.93%

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

$17.4K A$24.7K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

-20.39%

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

$147 A$208

$71.3 ฿2,379

105.94%

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

$28.54 A$40.49

$14.01 ฿467

103.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$78.7

$17.93 ฿598

209.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 A$74.1

$40.82 ฿1,362

27.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.68 A$13.73

$6.88 ฿230

40.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 A$18.74

$5.72 ฿191

130.77%

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

$1,780 A$2,526

$308 ฿10.3K

477.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.0K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-18.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 A$99.1

$55.8 ฿1,860

25.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.97 A$69.5

$26.04 ฿869

88.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$84.8 ฿2,829

20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 A$125

$71.0 ฿2,368

24.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 A$1,276

$423 ฿14.1K

112.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 A$1,298

$242 ฿8,088

277.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 A$2,424

$797 ฿26.6K

114.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 A$2,408

$507 ฿16.9K

234.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,721 A$9,537

$1,918 ฿64.0K

250.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,597 A$7,941

$1,464 ฿48.8K

282.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 A$6,715

$595 ฿19.9K

695.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

28.40%

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

Last update for Bunbury: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Bunbury and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bunbury pays 695% 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 Bunbury vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 695% higher in Bunbury, 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: $900 in Bunbury versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,780 in Bunbury versus $308 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bunbury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,990 in Bunbury, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bunbury. 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 Bunbury, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bunbury 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 133% less than in Bunbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.