Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Coffs Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,468 in Coffs Harbour, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
118

Cost of Living Index in Coffs Harbour
Learn more

Coffs Harbour Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Coffs Harbour

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Coffs Harbour

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 Coffs Harbour actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,468 in Coffs Harbour, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Coffs Harbour $2,468

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,579 in Coffs Harbour, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Coffs Harbour $3,579

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,690 in Coffs Harbour, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Coffs Harbour $4,690

Chiang Mai is about 62% cheaper than Coffs Harbour, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Coffs Harbour is 81% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$14.25 A$20.25

-84.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$104 A$147

-81.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.87 A$12.61

-37.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.77 A$5.36

-55.70%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.86 A$4.07

-77.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.95 A$2.77

-84.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$5.37 A$7.64

-56.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.48 A$7.79

-33.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.52 A$2.16

28.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.64 A$3.74

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.40 A$3.41

-44.58%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.36 A$4.77

-32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.69 A$12.35

89.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$7.11 A$10.11

-60.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.76 A$19.56

-32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.98 A$5.65

-40.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$3.09 A$4.39

-68.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.47 A$4.93

-53.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.16 A$5.91

-63.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.43 A$2.03

-10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.44 A$3.47

-54.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.52 A$3.58

-71.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$2.37 A$3.37

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$32.01 A$45.48

-87.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$14.22 A$20.20

23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$6.05 A$8.59

-73.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.63 A$9.41

-58.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$4.72 A$6.71

-81.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.11 A$3.00

-45.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.59 A$2.26

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$35.69 A$50.7

-93.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.32 A$1.87

9.85%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$28.9K A$41.1K

-27.25%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$26.7K A$37.9K

0.93%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$175 A$248

-64.42%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.59 A$15.05

14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$53.9 A$76.6

-62.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$108 A$153

-65.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.45 A$19.11

-51.75%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$2,183 A$3,102

-66.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$11.8K A$16.7K

25.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$77.2 A$110

-30.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$53.5 A$76.1

-53.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$103 A$146

-10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$124 A$176

-41.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,399 A$1,988

-65.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,302 A$1,850

-76.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,111 A$2,999

-52.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,945 A$2,764

-67.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,566 A$5,066

-33.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$3,623 A$5,149

-56.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,275 A$4,653

-81.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.69

-2.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Coffs Harbour: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Coffs Harbour

$1.3K 52.7% 321% $993

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Coffs Harbour

$360 14.6% 53.7% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Coffs Harbour

$161 6.5% 47.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Coffs Harbour

$239 9.7% 153% $145

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Coffs Harbour

$243 9.8% 213% $165

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Coffs Harbour

$29 * 1.2% 52.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Coffs Harbour

$135 5.5% 168% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,399 in Coffs Harbour. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Coffs Harbour are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $104 in Coffs Harbour. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $360 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇺 Coffs Harbour

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

4 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

78,759

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Coffs Harbour 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Coffs Harbour

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 Coffs Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Coffs Harbour costs about 164% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,703 in Coffs Harbour. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,399 in Coffs Harbour.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $104 in Coffs Harbour. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Coffs Harbour, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,468 in Coffs Harbour. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Coffs Harbour makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.