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: $1,988 in Bunbury versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,082 in Bunbury versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,176 in Bunbury versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Bunbury is 48% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.31 A$22.83

$1.96 ฿64.0

732.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.8 A$107

$18.81 ฿615

308.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 A$14.50

$7.92 ฿259

30.68%

Cappuccino

$3.77 A$5.28

$1.91 ฿62.6

97.38%

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

$2.49 A$3.49

$0.84 ฿27.41

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 A$2.82

$0.35 ฿11.51

477.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 A$11.19

$2.21 ฿72.1

261.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 A$9.32

$3.80 ฿124

75.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 A$1.36

$1.64 ฿53.5

-40.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 A$1.46

$1.62 ฿53.1

-35.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 A$2.54

$1.18 ฿38.62

53.39%

Eggs

$4.62 A$6.47

$2.01 ฿65.8

129.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 A$12.01

$15.89 ฿520

-46.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 A$11.18

$3.01 ฿98.5

165.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.79 A$10.91

$10.77 ฿352

-27.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 A$4.90

$2.61 ฿85.5

34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.23

$1.22 ฿39.88

147.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.66

$1.70 ฿55.7

53.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.19

$1.58 ฿51.5

179.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.50

$1.32 ฿43.14

89.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.50

$1.17 ฿38.23

52.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 A$2.30

$0.67 ฿21.98

146.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 A$1.01

$0.56 ฿18.32

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.26 A$33.96

$4.53 ฿148

435.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 A$10.16

$18.20 ฿595

-60.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.47

$1.83 ฿60.0

113.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 A$5.68

$3.23 ฿106

25.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.67

$0.89 ฿29.00

194.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.7 A$73.8

$19.38 ฿634

172.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 A$5.72

$1.35 ฿44.20

202.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 A$3.11

$1.35 ฿44.05

64.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.05 A$44.88

$8.25 ฿270

288.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.57

$1.27 ฿41.64

-11.81%

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

$19.2K A$26.9K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

-9.21%

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

$17.7K A$24.7K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

-21.49%

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

$151 A$211

$70.2 ฿2,294

115.11%

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

$28.02 A$39.22

$13.77 ฿450

103.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$78.0

$17.60 ฿575

216.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 A$72.3

$41.57 ฿1,360

24.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.03 A$14.05

$6.60 ฿216

51.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 A$18.12

$5.78 ฿189

123.88%

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

$1,792 A$2,509

$306 ฿10.0K

485.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.0K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 A$99.0

$54.4 ฿1,778

30.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.60 A$68.0

$26.14 ฿855

85.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$84.5 ฿2,764

19.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 A$123

$69.4 ฿2,270

26.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 A$1,251

$424 ฿13.9K

110.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 A$1,259

$238 ฿7,788

277.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 A$2,355

$825 ฿27.0K

103.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 A$2,365

$515 ฿16.8K

227.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,789 A$6,705

$635 ฿20.8K

654.00%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $893 in Bunbury and $424 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: $77.0 in Bunbury vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $243 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, Getting Around. The 133% 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 $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,792 in Bunbury versus $306 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 $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,988 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.