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: $1,852 in Burnie versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Burnie versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,705 in Burnie versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burnie is roughly 95% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnie is 35% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.94 A$26.49

$2.08 ฿69.4

810.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 A$128

$19.64 ฿654

365.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 A$7.86

$5.65 ฿188

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$3.98 A$5.56

$1.81 ฿60.1

119.89%

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

$3.60 A$5.03

$0.71 ฿23.75

407.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 A$2.44

$0.32 ฿10.52

443.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 A$5.95

$2.24 ฿74.5

89.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 A$8.41

$3.63 ฿121

65.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 A$2.58

$1.96 ฿65.2

-5.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 A$3.55

$1.50 ฿50.0

69.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.70

$1.34 ฿44.49

44.03%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.11

$2.26 ฿75.4

124.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 A$14.20

$16.26 ฿541

-37.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 A$8.82

$2.95 ฿98.4

113.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 A$25.21

$9.94 ฿331

81.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.90

$2.57 ฿85.7

8.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.96

$1.06 ฿35.18

166.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.04

$1.61 ฿53.7

34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.04

$1.52 ฿50.6

90.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.63

$1.27 ฿42.30

103.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 A$2.99

$1.07 ฿35.51

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.10

$0.72 ฿23.98

206.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 A$2.42

$0.51 ฿16.94

239.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.31 A$52.2

$4.19 ฿140

790.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 A$21.17

$17.87 ฿595

-15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 A$4.97

$1.69 ฿56.4

110.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 A$7.99

$2.84 ฿94.5

101.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 A$4.46

$0.93 ฿30.82

243.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 A$123

$53.9 ฿1,794

63.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 A$3.83

$1.23 ฿41.11

122.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 A$2.96

$0.58 ฿19.20

263.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.64 A$59.7

$2.42 ฿80.7

1661.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.80

$1.41 ฿47.03

-8.51%

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

$27.8K A$38.8K

$21.4K ฿714.1K

29.41%

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

$32.8K A$45.9K

$27.3K ฿910.2K

20.13%

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

$214 A$300

$63.7 ฿2,120

236.75%

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

$21.61 A$30.22

$12.85 ฿428

68.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.98 A$69.9

$20.22 ฿673

147.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 A$76.6

$38.74 ฿1,290

41.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 A$22.19

$3.97 ฿132

299.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.32 A$20.02

$6.74 ฿224

112.46%

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

$2,062 A$2,885

$778 ฿25.9K

165.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K A$29.9K

$14.6K ฿486.5K

46.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$110

$54.3 ฿1,808

44.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.84 A$34.74

$25.45 ฿847

-2.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$152

$94.3 ฿3,141

15.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 A$138

$73.4 ฿2,446

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 A$1,140

$490 ฿16.3K

66.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 A$819

$289 ฿9,634

102.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 A$1,658

$894 ฿29.8K

32.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 A$1,217

$517 ฿17.2K

68.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,452 A$9,025

$1,955 ฿65.1K

229.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,775 A$6,679

$1,477 ฿49.2K

223.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,264 A$7,363

$602 ฿20.0K

774.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.57

0.54%

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

Last update for Burnie: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Burnie and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnie pays 774% 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: $91.0 in Burnie vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $240 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 774% higher in Burnie, 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: $815 in Burnie versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% 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 $20.00 versus $91.0 in Burnie. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,852 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 95% less than in Burnie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.