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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,600 in Busselton versus $920 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,787 in Busselton versus $1,408 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,973 in Busselton versus $1,895 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Busselton is roughly 182% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busselton is 90% above, Chiang Mai is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 A$24.65

$2.11 ฿69.1

731.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 A$121

$19.75 ฿648

336.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 A$15.20

$5.85 ฿192

85.13%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$5.98

$1.76 ฿57.8

142.05%

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

$2.14 A$3.01

$0.74 ฿24.37

189.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.07

$0.33 ฿10.90

560.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 A$11.73

$2.47 ฿81.0

238.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 A$12.15

$3.88 ฿127

122.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.36

$1.90 ฿62.4

-11.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 A$4.25

$1.67 ฿54.7

80.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.89

$1.35 ฿44.24

52.59%

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.56

$2.14 ฿70.2

151.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 A$12.43

$15.89 ฿521

-44.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 A$13.19

$2.83 ฿92.9

231.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 A$20.04

$10.53 ฿345

35.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 A$6.41

$2.38 ฿78.2

92.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.48

$1.07 ฿35.01

198.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.83

$1.52 ฿49.79

126.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 A$7.42

$1.50 ฿49.30

252.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.04

$1.28 ฿41.96

124.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.80

$1.10 ฿36.17

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.16

$0.69 ฿22.54

226.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$1.95

$0.49 ฿16.18

183.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.77 A$58.7

$4.27 ฿140

878.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 A$17.73

$16.78 ฿550

-24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 A$6.04

$1.66 ฿54.4

159.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 A$5.02

$2.81 ฿92.3

27.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 A$4.05

$0.90 ฿29.44

220.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 A$104

$54.9 ฿1,801

35.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 A$5.36

$1.20 ฿39.24

218.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.98

$0.54 ฿17.78

161.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.57 A$57.0

$2.37 ฿77.9

1611.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.87

$1.43 ฿46.88

-6.99%

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

$28.3K A$39.8K

$21.1K ฿691.5K

34.39%

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

$30.4K A$42.7K

$27.1K ฿890.2K

12.20%

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

$206 A$289

$64.7 ฿2,124

218.20%

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

$32.81 A$46.07

$13.19 ฿433

148.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 A$88.2

$19.44 ฿638

223.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 A$85.1

$39.45 ฿1,294

53.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.57 A$26.08

$3.77 ฿124

392.57%

Cinema Ticket

$18.03 A$25.32

$6.62 ฿217

172.36%

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

$2,320 A$3,257

$805 ฿26.4K

188.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.5K

$15.1K ฿496.1K

53.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.1 A$110

$54.8 ฿1,796

42.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.2 A$91.6

$25.43 ฿834

156.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$170

$91.9 ฿3,015

32.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 A$225

$74.7 ฿2,449

114.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 A$2,028

$467 ฿15.3K

209.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 A$1,582

$282 ฿9,251

299.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 A$3,116

$891 ฿29.2K

148.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 A$2,514

$521 ฿17.1K

243.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,695 A$9,400

$1,985 ฿65.1K

237.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,075 A$7,127

$1,462 ฿48.0K

247.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.57

7.00%

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

Last update for Busselton: August 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,444 in Busselton and $467 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Busselton vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $237 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

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

Busselton and Chiang Mai differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($2,600 vs $920 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,900 in Busselton and $1,380 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,444 in Busselton versus $467 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,320 in Busselton versus $805 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Busselton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $920 in Chiang Mai versus $2,600 in Busselton, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Busselton. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Busselton 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 182% less than in Busselton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.