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: $2,162 in Busselton versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,200 in Busselton versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,238 in Busselton versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Busselton is roughly 154% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busselton is 61% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.42 A$22.99

$1.96 ฿64.0

737.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 A$111

$18.81 ฿615

321.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 A$13.39

$7.92 ฿259

20.83%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.12

$1.91 ฿62.6

91.62%

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

$2.49 A$3.49

$0.84 ฿27.41

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 A$2.79

$0.35 ฿11.51

471.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 A$10.70

$2.21 ฿72.1

245.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 A$9.33

$3.80 ฿124

75.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 A$1.24

$1.64 ฿53.5

-46.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 A$1.57

$1.62 ฿53.1

-30.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 A$1.32

$1.18 ฿38.62

-20.34%

Eggs

$3.09 A$4.32

$2.01 ฿65.8

53.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 A$12.05

$15.89 ฿520

-45.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 A$10.81

$3.01 ฿98.5

156.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 A$18.99

$10.77 ฿352

25.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.68

$2.61 ฿85.5

28.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.68

$1.22 ฿39.88

57.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.17

$1.70 ฿55.7

75.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 A$6.31

$1.58 ฿51.5

184.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.37

$1.32 ฿43.14

82.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.49

$1.17 ฿38.23

52.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 A$2.80

$0.67 ฿21.98

198.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.11

$0.56 ฿18.32

167.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.53 A$20.35

$4.53 ฿148

220.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 A$15.00

$18.20 ฿595

-41.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.47

$1.83 ฿60.0

113.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.64

$3.23 ฿106

24.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.54

$0.89 ฿29.00

184.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 A$91.8

$19.38 ฿634

238.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 A$5.44

$1.35 ฿44.20

188.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 A$3.11

$1.35 ฿44.05

64.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.88 A$69.8

$8.25 ฿270

504.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.56

$1.27 ฿41.64

-12.60%

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

$28.4K A$39.8K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

34.41%

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

$24.2K A$33.9K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

7.56%

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

$154 A$216

$70.2 ฿2,294

119.93%

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

$27.81 A$38.94

$13.77 ฿450

101.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 A$67.2

$17.60 ฿575

172.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 A$69.5

$41.57 ฿1,360

19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 A$22.03

$6.60 ฿216

138.48%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 A$22.34

$5.78 ฿189

176.12%

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

$1,824 A$2,553

$306 ฿10.0K

495.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.2K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-17.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 A$92.0

$54.4 ฿1,778

20.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.76 A$66.9

$26.14 ฿855

82.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$84.5 ฿2,764

19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$149

$69.4 ฿2,270

53.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 A$1,776

$424 ฿13.9K

199.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 A$1,464

$238 ฿7,788

339.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 A$2,847

$825 ฿27.0K

146.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 A$2,378

$515 ฿16.8K

229.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,968 A$9,755

$2,049 ฿67.0K

240.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,426 A$6,197

$1,523 ฿49.8K

190.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

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 Busselton: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Busselton and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Busselton vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 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

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

Busselton and Chiang Mai differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,162 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,242 in Busselton and $1,278 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: $1,269 in Busselton versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,824 in Busselton 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 19% higher in Busselton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,162 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 154% less than in Busselton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.