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: $2,251 in Charleville versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,306 in Charleville versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,360 in Charleville versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Charleville is roughly 164% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Charleville is 68% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.99 A$22.23

$1.96 ฿63.6

715.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 A$108

$18.81 ฿611

311.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 A$13.19

$7.92 ฿258

19.82%

Cappuccino

$3.50 A$4.87

$1.91 ฿62.2

83.25%

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

$2.49 A$3.46

$0.84 ฿27.25

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.03

$0.35 ฿11.44

522.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 A$8.84

$2.21 ฿71.7

187.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$9.85

$3.80 ฿124

86.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.98

$1.64 ฿53.2

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 A$3.36

$1.62 ฿52.8

48.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.69

$1.18 ฿38.40

63.56%

Eggs

$4.45 A$6.19

$2.01 ฿65.4

121.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 A$12.11

$15.89 ฿517

-45.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.44

$3.01 ฿98.0

173.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 A$18.78

$10.77 ฿350

25.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.48

$2.61 ฿85.0

23.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 A$3.97

$1.22 ฿39.65

134.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.19

$1.70 ฿55.4

77.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.54

$1.58 ฿51.2

152.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.36

$1.32 ฿42.89

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.93

$1.17 ฿38.01

80.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 A$2.99

$0.67 ฿21.85

220.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.21

$0.56 ฿18.21

183.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.63 A$42.58

$4.53 ฿147

576.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 A$21.70

$18.20 ฿592

-14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.38

$1.83 ฿59.6

150.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 A$7.54

$3.23 ฿105

67.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 A$3.56

$0.89 ฿28.83

187.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$89.4

$19.38 ฿630

231.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.00

$1.35 ฿43.95

165.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.25

$1.35 ฿43.79

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.79 A$46.96

$8.25 ฿268

309.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.57

$1.27 ฿41.40

-11.02%

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

$28.4K A$39.4K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

34.08%

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

$22.5K A$31.2K

$22.5K ฿731.0K

-0.05%

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

$187 A$260

$70.2 ฿2,281

166.20%

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

$26.89 A$37.37

$13.77 ฿448

95.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 A$73.9

$17.60 ฿572

202.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.01 A$66.7

$41.57 ฿1,352

15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 A$21.57

$6.60 ฿215

135.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 A$18.18

$5.78 ฿188

126.30%

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

$1,623 A$2,256

$306 ฿9,953

430.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.0K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-17.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 A$95.5

$54.4 ฿1,768

26.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 A$71.5

$26.14 ฿850

96.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 A$138

$84.5 ฿2,748

17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$147

$69.4 ฿2,257

52.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 A$1,763

$424 ฿13.8K

199.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 A$1,505

$238 ฿7,743

354.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 A$2,826

$825 ฿26.8K

146.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 A$2,344

$515 ฿16.7K

227.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,981 A$8,314

$2,049 ฿66.6K

191.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,680 A$7,895

$1,523 ฿49.5K

272.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Charleville and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Charleville vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 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

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 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,377 in Charleville and $1,278 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: $1,268 in Charleville versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,251 per month in Charleville versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 232% less than in Charleville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,251 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 164% less than in Charleville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.