Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Alice Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,798 in Alice Springs, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Alice Springs

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Alice Springs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,798 in Alice Springs.

Chiang Mai $925
Alice Springs $1,798

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $2,720 in Alice Springs.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Alice Springs $2,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $3,641 in Alice Springs.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Alice Springs $3,641

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 49% less than in Alice Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 32% below, Alice Springs is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$17.27 A$24.85

-86.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$83.0 A$119

-76.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$10.70 A$15.40

-47.57%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.28 A$6.16

-61.21%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.87 A$4.13

-75.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$2.82 A$4.06

-89.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$6.48 A$9.33

-62.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$9.54 A$13.72

-61.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.43 A$2.05

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.10 A$3.03

-32.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.78 A$2.57

-26.40%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$5.10 A$7.33

-57.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.17 A$14.63

63.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$8.29 A$11.94

-66.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$14.50 A$20.87

-37.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.84 A$5.53

-37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$3.00 A$4.32

-65.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.63 A$3.78

-38.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$6.85 A$9.86

-78.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$2.49 A$3.58

-48.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$2.28 A$3.28

-51.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$2.43 A$3.50

-70.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$2.36 A$3.40

-77.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$28.22 A$40.60

-84.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$13.77 A$19.82

30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$3.22 A$4.64

-50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$5.59 A$8.04

-49.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$2.79 A$4.02

-69.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$68.9 A$99.1

-22.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$4.84 A$6.97

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.55 A$2.24

-63.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$27.74 A$39.92

-91.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.35 A$1.94

6.67%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$37.6K A$54.1K

-44.88%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$23.0K A$33.0K

16.70%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$213 A$306

-70.67%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$28.21 A$40.59

-57.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$45.86 A$66.0

-56.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$56.9 A$81.9

-34.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$17.95 A$25.83

-78.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$13.94 A$20.06

-53.37%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$1,941 A$2,793

-59.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$20.6K A$29.6K

-27.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$73.1 A$105

-26.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$12.03 A$17.31

104.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$138 A$198

-33.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$120 A$173

-40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$1,405 A$2,022

-67.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$518 A$746

-42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,267 A$1,823

-28.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$765 A$1,101

-27.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$4,502 A$6,478

-57.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$4,696 A$6,757

-69.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$4,301 A$6,189

-86.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.9

-5.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Alice Springs

$518 28.8% 74.1% $221

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Alice Springs

$365 20.3% 55.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Alice Springs

$154 8.6% 42.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Alice Springs

$287 15.9% 204% $192

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Alice Springs

$296 16.5% 277% $217

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Alice Springs

$93 5.2% 52.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Alice Springs

$85 4.7% 69.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 628% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $83.0 in Alice Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $365 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

11:57 11:57 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

24,855

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Alice Springs 6,050 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Alice Springs

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Chiang Mai vs Alice Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Alice Springs. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 628% lower in Alice Springs. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Alice Springs. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $83.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,798 in Alice Springs, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alice Springs. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Alice Springs 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 94% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.