Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Broome, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $2,663 in Broome, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Broome, WA
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Broome, WA Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Broome, WA

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Broome, WA

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 Broome, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $906 in Chiang Mai versus $2,663 in Broome, WA.

Chiang Mai $906
Broome, WA $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Chiang Mai versus $4,396 in Broome, WA.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Broome, WA $4,396

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,864 in Chiang Mai versus $6,129 in Broome, WA.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Broome, WA $6,129

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 66% less than in Broome, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 32% below, Broome, WA is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$21.14 A$30.37

-89.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿652

$82.8 A$119

-76.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿184

$21.18 A$30.42

-74.17%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.7

$5.16 A$7.42

-67.44%

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

$0.66 ฿22.19

$3.83 A$5.50

-82.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.56

$2.25 A$3.24

-84.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.3

$8.17 A$11.74

-70.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿126

$7.48 A$10.74

-50.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿69.2

$2.83 A$4.07

-27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.98

$2.60 A$3.74

-43.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.27

$2.16 A$3.10

-37.50%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.3

$5.10 A$7.33

-55.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿548

$9.35 A$13.43

74.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.7

$9.95 A$14.30

-72.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿309

$14.48 A$20.80

-36.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.5

$4.44 A$6.37

-46.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.80

$3.39 A$4.86

-69.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.28 A$6.15

-62.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.57

$5.54 A$7.96

-74.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.77

$3.59 A$5.15

-63.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.45

$3.07 A$4.41

-63.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.65

$3.66 A$5.26

-80.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

$1.59 A$2.28

-67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿139

$32.14 A$46.17

-87.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿598

$17.33 A$24.90

2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$4.71 A$6.76

-65.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.4

$5.25 A$7.54

-45.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.88

$3.00 A$4.31

-71.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,787

$81.0 A$116

-34.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.99

$3.56 A$5.11

-65.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.89

$1.56 A$2.25

-64.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.8

$71.2 A$102

-96.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.71 A$2.45

-12.28%

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

$20.9K ฿701.2K

$28.0K A$40.2K

-25.42%

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

$26.7K ฿898.8K

$22.4K A$32.2K

19.09%

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

$61.3 ฿2,059

$206 A$296

-70.29%

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

$12.50 ฿420

$27.39 A$39.35

-54.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿685

$48.95 A$70.3

-58.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,275

$56.4 A$81.0

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$15.70 A$22.55

-75.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿222

$17.80 A$25.57

-62.92%

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

$774 ฿26.0K

$1,079 A$1,550

-28.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿485.3K

$20.3K A$29.2K

-29.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,842

$111 A$159

-50.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿849

$70.4 A$101

-64.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,045

$159 A$229

-43.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,463

$123 A$176

-40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$1,504 A$2,161

-69.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,877

$1,212 A$1,741

-75.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.9K

$3,003 A$4,313

-69.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.6K

$2,894 A$4,158

-80.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.5K

$5,827 A$8,370

-67.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.6K

$4,895 A$7,031

-70.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.9K

$3,825 A$5,494

-84.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.84

-4.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Broome, WA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Broome, WA

$1.2K 45.1% 313% $918

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Broome, WA

$411 15.3% 74.3% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Broome, WA

$208 7.8% 89.7% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Broome, WA

$283 10.5% 200% $188

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Broome, WA

$375 14% 385% $298

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Broome, WA

$104 3.9% 72.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Broome, WA

$92 3.4% 80% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Chiang Mai and $1,504 in Broome, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Broome, WA pays 546% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $83.0 in Broome, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $411 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇺 Broome, WA

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

16:53 4:53 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

14,660

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Broome, WA 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Broome, WA

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 Broome, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Broome, WA differ by about 194% in total monthly costs ($906 vs $2,663 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 546% lower in Broome, WA. 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: $459 in Chiang Mai versus $1,504 in Broome, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $906 per month in Chiang Mai versus $2,663 in Broome, WA – a 194% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 52% less than in Broome, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $906 in Chiang Mai versus $2,663 in Broome, WA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Broome, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Broome, WA 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 194% less than in Broome, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.