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: $1,973 in Bunbury versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,086 in Bunbury versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,199 in Bunbury versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bunbury is roughly 127% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bunbury is 47% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 A$22.92

$1.98 ฿64.3

719.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 A$111

$18.80 ฿612

317.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 A$14.60

$7.75 ฿252

33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.79 A$5.35

$1.92 ฿62.5

97.40%

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

$2.47 A$3.49

$0.79 ฿25.79

212.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 A$2.72

$0.36 ฿11.62

433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.65 A$10.81

$2.21 ฿72.1

246.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 A$9.03

$3.66 ฿119

74.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 A$1.41

$1.65 ฿53.8

-39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 A$1.42

$1.63 ฿53.2

-38.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.69

$1.19 ฿38.86

60.50%

Eggs

$4.46 A$6.30

$2.00 ฿65.1

123.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.23

$15.98 ฿520

-45.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 A$10.95

$3.03 ฿98.5

155.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 A$10.74

$10.86 ฿354

-30.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.90

$2.76 ฿90.0

25.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.16

$1.18 ฿38.42

149.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.69

$1.64 ฿53.5

59.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.24

$1.52 ฿49.51

190.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.57

$1.38 ฿45.10

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 A$2.43

$1.19 ฿38.84

44.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 A$2.24

$0.70 ฿22.86

127.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 A$1.09

$0.56 ฿18.13

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.80 A$33.62

$4.58 ฿149

419.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.08 A$10.00

$16.56 ฿539

-57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 A$5.57

$1.83 ฿59.5

115.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 A$5.90

$3.20 ฿104

30.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.60

$0.88 ฿28.56

189.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 A$72.2

$18.72 ฿610

172.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 A$5.70

$1.36 ฿44.16

196.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 A$3.13

$1.34 ฿43.65

65.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.23 A$45.54

$7.84 ฿256

311.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.58

$1.23 ฿39.92

-9.76%

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

$19.6K A$27.7K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

-9.18%

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

$17.8K A$25.2K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-21.02%

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

$150 A$211

$70.5 ฿2,298

112.15%

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

$27.82 A$39.31

$13.68 ฿445

103.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 A$77.2

$17.45 ฿568

213.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$73.5

$41.33 ฿1,346

25.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.98 A$14.10

$6.96 ฿227

43.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.99 A$18.35

$5.77 ฿188

125.13%

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

$1,783 A$2,519

$307 ฿10.0K

480.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.2K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 A$100

$55.8 ฿1,817

27.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.78 A$68.9

$26.21 ฿854

86.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$144

$85.8 ฿2,793

19.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 A$125

$72.2 ฿2,353

22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 A$1,262

$430 ฿14.0K

107.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 A$1,277

$239 ฿7,774

278.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,421

$817 ฿26.6K

109.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 A$2,375

$511 ฿16.6K

229.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,047 A$8,544

$1,983 ฿64.6K

204.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,337 A$7,540

$1,484 ฿48.3K

259.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,667 A$6,594

$619 ฿20.2K

654.17%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $893 in Bunbury and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bunbury pays 654% 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 $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

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 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bunbury pays 654% more on average, 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: $893 in Bunbury versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,783 in Bunbury 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 12% higher in Bunbury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,973 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 127% less than in Bunbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.