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: $2,226 in Charleville versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,247 in Charleville versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,267 in Charleville versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Charleville is roughly 156% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Charleville is 66% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 A$23.31

$1.98 ฿64.3

733.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 A$112

$18.80 ฿612

320.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 A$13.57

$7.75 ฿252

23.87%

Cappuccino

$3.42 A$4.83

$1.92 ฿62.5

78.13%

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

$2.59 A$3.66

$0.79 ฿25.79

227.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 A$2.98

$0.36 ฿11.62

486.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.54 A$9.24

$2.21 ฿72.1

195.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 A$10.31

$3.66 ฿119

99.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.09

$1.65 ฿53.8

-10.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.42

$1.63 ฿53.2

48.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.84

$1.19 ฿38.86

68.91%

Eggs

$4.38 A$6.19

$2.00 ฿65.1

119.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 A$12.16

$15.98 ฿520

-46.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.10

$3.03 ฿98.5

182.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 A$19.27

$10.86 ฿354

25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.52

$2.76 ฿90.0

15.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.92

$1.18 ฿38.42

134.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.03

$1.64 ฿53.5

73.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$5.93

$1.52 ฿49.51

176.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.51

$1.38 ฿45.10

80.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.05

$1.19 ฿38.84

81.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 A$2.92

$0.70 ฿22.86

195.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.23

$0.56 ฿18.13

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.40 A$44.37

$4.58 ฿149

585.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 A$18.51

$16.56 ฿539

-20.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.49 A$6.34

$1.83 ฿59.5

145.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.42

$3.20 ฿104

64.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.57

$0.88 ฿28.56

187.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 A$90.7

$18.72 ฿610

243.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 A$5.11

$1.36 ฿44.16

165.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.34 ฿43.65

20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.54 A$47.38

$7.84 ฿256

327.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.61

$1.23 ฿39.92

-7.32%

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

$29.2K A$41.2K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

34.82%

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

$22.3K A$31.5K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-0.99%

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

$183 A$259

$70.5 ฿2,298

159.41%

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

$27.21 A$38.44

$13.68 ฿445

98.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.4

$17.45 ฿568

205.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.33 A$68.3

$41.33 ฿1,346

16.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 A$22.05

$6.96 ฿227

124.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 A$18.24

$5.77 ฿188

123.74%

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

$1,616 A$2,283

$307 ฿10.0K

426.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.3K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-16.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 A$97.6

$55.8 ฿1,817

23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$72.8

$26.21 ฿854

96.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 A$139

$85.8 ฿2,793

15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$150

$72.2 ฿2,353

46.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 A$1,779

$430 ฿14.0K

192.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 A$1,504

$239 ฿7,774

345.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 A$2,838

$817 ฿26.6K

145.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 A$2,359

$511 ฿16.6K

226.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 A$9,701

$1,983 ฿64.6K

246.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,834 A$8,243

$1,484 ฿48.3K

293.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

26.80%

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

Last update for Charleville: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,259 in Charleville and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Charleville vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,339 in Charleville and $1,303 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: $1,259 in Charleville versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,226 per month in Charleville versus $869 in Chiang Mai – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 243% less than in Charleville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $2,226 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 156% less than in Charleville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.