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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,655 in Burnie versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,492 in Burnie versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Burnie versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burnie is roughly 91% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnie is 24% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 A$22.27

$1.94 ฿63.5

723.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$118

$18.64 ฿609

353.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 A$7.22

$7.82 ฿255

-33.76%

Cappuccino

$3.55 A$4.95

$1.95 ฿63.8

82.05%

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

$2.71 A$3.78

$0.85 ฿27.77

218.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.31

$0.35 ฿11.58

374.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 A$5.36

$2.13 ฿69.6

80.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 A$7.69

$3.73 ฿122

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 A$2.56

$1.71 ฿56.0

7.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.52

$1.63 ฿53.2

55.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 A$2.38

$1.14 ฿37.15

50.00%

Eggs

$4.73 A$6.59

$1.93 ฿63.1

145.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 A$12.90

$16.21 ฿530

-42.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 A$7.97

$3.12 ฿102

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$22.96

$10.90 ฿356

51.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.56

$2.75 ฿90.0

-6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.67

$1.21 ฿39.52

117.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.79

$1.62 ฿53.0

23.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.66

$1.59 ฿51.8

65.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.70

$1.40 ฿45.70

89.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.66

$1.17 ฿38.17

63.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 A$2.64

$0.66 ฿21.60

186.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 A$2.80

$0.53 ฿17.22

279.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.53 A$35.57

$4.69 ฿153

444.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 A$20.62

$18.66 ฿609

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 A$4.51

$1.80 ฿58.8

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.30

$3.23 ฿106

62.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 A$2.54

$0.90 ฿29.26

102.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 A$91.8

$19.21 ฿628

242.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 A$3.35

$1.41 ฿45.91

70.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 A$2.52

$1.29 ฿42.12

40.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 A$41.18

$7.84 ฿256

276.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.68

$1.27 ฿41.58

-4.72%

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

$28.4K A$39.5K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

33.26%

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

$27.1K A$37.8K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

21.98%

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

$198 A$276

$69.1 ฿2,256

187.16%

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

$19.26 A$26.85

$14.08 ฿460

36.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.93 A$62.6

$18.00 ฿588

149.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 A$68.5

$41.06 ฿1,341

19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 A$21.68

$6.96 ฿227

123.56%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 A$18.04

$5.92 ฿193

118.58%

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

$1,702 A$2,372

$299 ฿9,766

469.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$16.9K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-18.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 A$88.8

$54.7 ฿1,787

16.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.79 A$31.75

$26.77 ฿874

-14.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$146

$85.0 ฿2,776

23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 A$121

$70.6 ฿2,306

23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 A$1,056

$428 ฿14.0K

76.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 A$743

$237 ฿7,752

124.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 A$1,462

$801 ฿26.2K

30.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 A$1,099

$515 ฿16.8K

53.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,321 A$8,808

$1,975 ฿64.5K

220.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,809 A$8,095

$1,475 ฿48.2K

293.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,273 A$7,348

$617 ฿20.2K

753.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

12.00%

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

Last update for Burnie: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Burnie and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnie pays 754% 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: $85.0 in Burnie vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $246 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Burnie pays 754% 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: $758 in Burnie versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Burnie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $85.0 in Burnie. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,655 in Burnie, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Burnie. 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 Burnie, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Burnie 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 91% less than in Burnie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.