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: $2,137 in Carlton versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Carlton versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,930 in Carlton versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Carlton is roughly 147% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 59% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 A$26.96

$1.94 ฿63.5

896.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 A$90.0

$18.64 ฿609

246.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.49

$7.82 ฿255

23.79%

Cappuccino

$2.71 A$3.78

$1.95 ฿63.8

38.97%

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

$2.46 A$3.43

$0.85 ฿27.77

189.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.76

$0.35 ฿11.58

465.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 A$8.72

$2.13 ฿69.6

193.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 A$8.40

$3.73 ฿122

61.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.55

$1.71 ฿56.0

-35.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 A$2.36

$1.63 ฿53.2

4.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 A$2.25

$1.14 ฿37.15

42.11%

Eggs

$3.08 A$4.29

$1.93 ฿63.1

59.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 A$12.12

$16.21 ฿530

-46.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$12.74

$3.12 ฿102

192.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.87 A$20.72

$10.90 ฿356

36.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.41

$2.75 ฿90.0

15.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.71

$1.21 ฿39.52

119.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.05

$1.62 ฿53.0

79.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 A$5.63

$1.59 ฿51.8

154.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.17

$1.40 ฿45.70

62.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.80

$1.17 ฿38.17

71.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 A$2.97

$0.66 ฿21.60

222.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 A$1.83

$0.53 ฿17.22

147.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.17 A$39.25

$4.69 ฿153

500.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 A$14.84

$18.66 ฿609

-42.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 A$6.48

$1.80 ฿58.8

158.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.15

$3.23 ฿106

58.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 A$4.15

$0.90 ฿29.26

231.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 A$71.3

$19.21 ฿628

166.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.13

$1.41 ฿45.91

160.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.89

$1.29 ฿42.12

4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.73 A$34.46

$7.84 ฿256

215.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.58

$1.27 ฿41.58

-10.24%

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

$23.5K A$32.7K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

10.37%

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

$13.0K A$18.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

-41.34%

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

$73.9 A$103

$69.1 ฿2,256

6.96%

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

$21.23 A$29.59

$14.08 ฿460

50.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.45 A$60.6

$18.00 ฿588

141.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.96 A$62.7

$41.06 ฿1,341

9.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 A$25.39

$6.96 ฿227

161.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 A$16.46

$5.92 ฿193

99.66%

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

$1,166 A$1,625

$299 ฿9,766

290.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K A$15.8K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-24.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 A$94.3

$54.7 ฿1,787

23.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 A$75.7

$26.77 ฿874

102.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 A$108

$85.0 ฿2,776

-9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$143

$70.6 ฿2,306

45.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 A$1,800

$428 ฿14.0K

201.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 A$1,590

$237 ฿7,752

380.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 A$2,716

$801 ฿26.2K

143.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 A$2,230

$515 ฿16.8K

210.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,631 A$7,847

$1,975 ฿64.5K

185.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,897 A$8,218

$1,475 ฿48.2K

299.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,980 A$8,333

$617 ฿20.2K

868.48%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,292 in Carlton and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 868% 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: $65.0 in Carlton vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $246 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 147% in total monthly costs ($2,137 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carlton pays 868% more on average, 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: $1,292 in Carlton versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,166 in Carlton versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,137 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 147% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.