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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,177 in Carlton versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,095 in Carlton versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,014 in Carlton versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Carlton is roughly 153% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 63% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 A$28.24

$1.96 ฿65.9

905.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 A$92.3

$18.35 ฿617

251.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 A$13.32

$7.48 ฿252

24.33%

Cappuccino

$2.70 A$3.87

$2.02 ฿67.8

33.66%

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

$2.38 A$3.41

$0.85 ฿28.52

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.78

$0.36 ฿11.97

438.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 A$9.10

$2.14 ฿71.9

196.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 A$8.81

$3.59 ฿121

71.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.60

$1.65 ฿55.5

-32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 A$2.46

$1.57 ฿52.7

9.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 A$2.25

$1.19 ฿40.05

31.93%

Eggs

$3.13 A$4.48

$1.94 ฿65.1

61.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 A$13.20

$16.19 ฿545

-43.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.40

$2.99 ฿101

212.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 A$20.94

$10.94 ฿368

33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.58

$2.71 ฿91.2

17.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.77

$1.17 ฿39.27

124.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.13

$1.69 ฿56.8

70.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.62

$1.60 ฿54.0

145.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.38 ฿46.56

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.02

$1.20 ฿40.47

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 A$3.15

$0.67 ฿22.51

228.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.91

$0.56 ฿18.74

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.12 A$40.29

$4.64 ฿156

506.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 A$14.58

$17.62 ฿593

-42.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 A$6.60

$1.86 ฿62.6

147.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.27

$3.30 ฿111

53.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.17

$0.88 ฿29.70

230.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 A$73.2

$19.34 ฿651

164.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 A$5.03

$1.36 ฿45.92

158.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 A$1.88

$1.34 ฿45.00

-2.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.61 A$35.26

$8.21 ฿276

199.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.63

$1.22 ฿41.20

-6.56%

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

$23.3K A$33.4K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

9.07%

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

$13.0K A$18.6K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

-42.24%

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

$73.8 A$106

$70.7 ฿2,378

4.49%

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

$21.02 A$30.12

$14.04 ฿472

49.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 A$61.5

$17.49 ฿589

145.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.41 A$65.1

$42.15 ฿1,418

7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 A$25.98

$6.88 ฿231

163.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 A$16.64

$5.92 ฿199

96.11%

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

$1,191 A$1,707

$309 ฿10.4K

286.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K A$16.3K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-23.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 A$98.0

$55.8 ฿1,876

22.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 A$76.0

$26.11 ฿879

103.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 A$107

$83.0 ฿2,793

-9.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$70.5 ฿2,371

48.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 A$1,855

$432 ฿14.5K

199.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 A$1,656

$239 ฿8,040

383.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 A$2,800

$822 ฿27.7K

137.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 A$2,311

$512 ฿17.2K

214.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,119 A$10.2K

$1,915 ฿64.4K

271.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,704 A$8,172

$1,467 ฿49.4K

288.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,788 A$8,293

$579 ฿19.5K

899.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

23.80%

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

Last update for Carlton: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Carlton and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 899% 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: $64.0 in Carlton vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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

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

Carlton and Chiang Mai differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($2,177 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 899% higher in Carlton, 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: $1,295 in Carlton versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,191 in Carlton versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,177 in Carlton, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Carlton. 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, Carlton 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 153% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.