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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,676 in Ballarat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $2,749 in Ballarat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $3,823 in Ballarat.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 49% less than in Ballarat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Ballarat is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.7

$14.18 A$20.29

-86.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿616

$64.2 A$92.0

-71.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿251

$9.73 A$13.94

-23.12%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.7

$3.55 A$5.09

-43.10%

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

$0.85 ฿28.45

$2.53 A$3.62

-66.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.94

$2.02 A$2.89

-82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$6.03 A$8.63

-64.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$7.01 A$10.03

-48.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.4

$1.46 A$2.09

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$2.57 A$3.68

-38.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.95

$1.54 A$2.21

-22.73%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.0

$4.27 A$6.12

-54.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$8.82 A$12.62

83.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿100

$9.47 A$13.56

-68.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿367

$14.55 A$20.83

-24.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.0

$3.26 A$4.67

-16.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.81 A$4.03

-58.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$2.89 A$4.13

-41.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.88 A$5.56

-58.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.45

$2.69 A$3.85

-48.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.38

$2.33 A$3.33

-48.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.46

$2.19 A$3.13

-69.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.70

$1.04 A$1.49

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$31.14 A$44.58

-85.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿591

$13.93 A$19.95

26.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.4

$2.14 A$3.07

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.90 A$4.15

13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.63

$1.71 A$2.45

-48.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿649

$64.6 A$92.6

-70.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.82

$2.32 A$3.33

-41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.90

$1.15 A$1.65

16.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$24.91 A$35.67

-67.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.11

$1.14 A$1.64

7.02%

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

$21.4K ฿716.8K

$27.8K A$39.8K

-23.17%

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

$22.5K ฿756.3K

$23.1K A$33.1K

-2.68%

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

$70.7 ฿2,372

$153 A$219

-53.74%

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

$14.04 ฿471

$20.80 A$29.78

-32.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿587

$50.2 A$71.8

-65.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,415

$32.31 A$46.26

30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$15.46 A$22.14

-55.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$11.21 A$16.05

-47.19%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$321 A$460

-3.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿499.5K

$19.0K A$27.2K

-21.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,872

$65.8 A$94.2

-15.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿877

$53.1 A$76.0

-50.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,787

$86.0 A$123

-3.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,365

$90.8 A$130

-22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$860 A$1,231

-49.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,020

$632 A$904

-62.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.6K

$2,055 A$2,943

-60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$1,339 A$1,918

-61.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.3K

$4,630 A$6,629

-58.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$3,407 A$4,877

-56.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

$3,172 A$4,542

-81.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

-17.63%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $860 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 448% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $64.0 in Ballarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $323 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Ballarat. 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 448% lower in Ballarat. 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $860 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $321 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ballarat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,676 in Ballarat, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ballarat. 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 $861 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 Ballarat 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 95% less than in Ballarat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.