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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,583 per month in Cairns vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,813 per month in Cairns vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,042 per month in Cairns vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cairns costs about 173% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cairns sits 88% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 A$25.30

$2.08 ฿69.4

769.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 A$142

$19.64 ฿654

417.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 A$17.85

$5.65 ฿188

125.84%

Cappuccino

$4.60 A$6.44

$1.81 ฿60.1

154.14%

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

$3.23 A$4.52

$0.71 ฿23.75

354.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 A$3.87

$0.32 ฿10.52

762.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 A$9.97

$2.24 ฿74.5

218.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 A$11.72

$3.63 ฿121

130.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 A$2.76

$1.96 ฿65.2

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.87

$1.50 ฿50.0

84.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.66

$1.34 ฿44.49

95.52%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.61

$2.26 ฿75.4

140.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 A$13.34

$16.26 ฿541

-41.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 A$19.97

$2.95 ฿98.4

384.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 A$21.41

$9.94 ฿331

53.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.72

$2.57 ฿85.7

59.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.96

$1.06 ฿35.18

166.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 A$5.14

$1.61 ฿53.7

127.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.83 A$8.15

$1.52 ฿50.6

283.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.74

$1.27 ฿42.30

111.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.61

$1.07 ฿35.51

141.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 A$3.99

$0.72 ฿23.98

295.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.62

$0.51 ฿16.94

407.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.99 A$62.9

$4.19 ฿140

973.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.49 A$20.27

$17.87 ฿595

-18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 A$4.98

$1.69 ฿56.4

110.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.71

$2.84 ฿94.5

94.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 A$4.97

$0.93 ฿30.82

281.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.04 A$22.44

$53.9 ฿1,794

-70.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 A$3.77

$1.23 ฿41.11

119.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 A$2.77

$0.58 ฿19.20

241.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.74 A$61.2

$2.42 ฿80.7

1707.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.71

$1.41 ฿47.03

-12.77%

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

$31.4K A$43.9K

$21.4K ฿714.1K

46.24%

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

$42.2K A$59.1K

$27.3K ฿910.2K

54.51%

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

$165 A$231

$63.7 ฿2,120

159.87%

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

$35.34 A$49.43

$12.85 ฿428

175.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 A$96.8

$20.22 ฿673

242.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.13 A$64.5

$38.74 ฿1,290

19.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.53 A$39.91

$3.97 ฿132

618.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 A$20.36

$6.74 ฿224

115.88%

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

$2,156 A$3,016

$778 ฿25.9K

177.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K A$19.9K

$14.6K ฿486.5K

-2.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 A$130

$54.3 ฿1,808

71.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.3 A$102

$25.45 ฿847

187.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$174

$94.3 ฿3,141

31.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$191

$73.4 ฿2,446

86.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 A$2,122

$490 ฿16.3K

209.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 A$1,755

$289 ฿9,634

333.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 A$3,239

$894 ฿29.8K

159.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 A$2,777

$517 ฿17.2K

284.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,709 A$9,385

$1,955 ฿65.1K

243.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,173 A$7,237

$1,477 ฿49.2K

250.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,565 A$6,385

$602 ฿20.0K

658.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

5.57

13.46%

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

Last update for Cairns: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,517 in Cairns versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 658% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Cairns versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $240 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Cairns costs about 173% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,875 per month in Cairns and $1,421 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Cairns and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Cairns at $2,583. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $2,583 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.