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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,628 in Charleville versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,773 in Charleville versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Charleville versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Charleville is 92% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 A$28.11

$2.08 ฿69.2

862.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 A$136

$19.61 ฿652

392.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 A$17.12

$5.67 ฿189

114.99%

Cappuccino

$3.59 A$5.04

$1.81 ฿60.0

98.34%

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

$2.64 A$3.71

$0.77 ฿25.55

242.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.42

$0.35 ฿11.48

594.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.69 A$10.81

$2.21 ฿73.6

247.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 A$11.09

$3.79 ฿126

108.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 A$2.14

$2.05 ฿68.1

-25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.77

$1.51 ฿50.4

77.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.65

$1.40 ฿46.51

85.00%

Eggs

$5.34 A$7.50

$2.26 ฿75.1

136.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$12.94

$16.19 ฿538

-43.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 A$13.78

$2.90 ฿96.3

238.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 A$22.87

$9.42 ฿313

72.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.47

$2.68 ฿89.1

18.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 A$4.93

$1.09 ฿36.23

222.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 A$4.72

$1.62 ฿53.8

107.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 A$6.70

$1.46 ฿48.55

226.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.58

$1.28 ฿42.48

99.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.90

$1.06 ฿35.17

161.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.19

$0.72 ฿23.85

215.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.27

$0.53 ฿17.49

205.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.03 A$50.6

$4.23 ฿141

751.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 A$20.79

$18.29 ฿608

-19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.00 A$7.02

$1.63 ฿54.2

206.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.30 A$8.85

$2.90 ฿96.5

117.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.11

$0.88 ฿29.20

231.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 A$136

$53.8 ฿1,788

79.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.27

$1.17 ฿38.99

220.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 A$2.01

$0.58 ฿19.22

146.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 A$57.9

$2.39 ฿79.3

1623.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.70

$1.45 ฿48.22

-16.55%

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

$29.5K A$41.5K

$21.0K ฿698.6K

40.63%

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

$35.1K A$49.3K

$26.4K ฿878.6K

32.78%

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

$199 A$279

$63.7 ฿2,116

212.02%

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

$29.86 A$41.96

$12.89 ฿429

131.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 A$82.9

$20.52 ฿682

187.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 A$87.5

$39.02 ฿1,297

59.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 A$28.50

$3.92 ฿130

417.60%

Cinema Ticket

$15.95 A$22.41

$6.58 ฿219

142.40%

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

$2,220 A$3,119

$784 ฿26.1K

183.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.2K

$14.7K ฿487.9K

56.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$120

$55.1 ฿1,833

54.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.8

$24.74 ฿823

103.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$163

$94.1 ฿3,130

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$161

$74.0 ฿2,459

54.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 A$2,035

$490 ฿16.3K

195.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 A$1,583

$288 ฿9,582

291.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 A$3,167

$891 ฿29.6K

152.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 A$2,771

$521 ฿17.3K

278.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,572 A$9,234

$1,974 ฿65.6K

232.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,841 A$8,206

$1,444 ฿48.0K

304.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

5.57

5.39%

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

Last update for Charleville: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,449 in Charleville and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96.0 in Charleville vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $241 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,942 in Charleville and $1,398 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: $1,449 in Charleville versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,628 per month in Charleville versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 182% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 79% less than in Charleville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,628 in Charleville, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Charleville. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Charleville, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Charleville 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 Charleville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.