Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dandenong and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,068 in Dandenong, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Dandenong despite lower rent and utilities.

51

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dandenong and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $1,068 per month in Dandenong vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dandenong $1,068
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,360 per month in Dandenong vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dandenong $2,360
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,651 per month in Dandenong vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dandenong $3,651
Chiang Mai $1,979

Dandenong costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dandenong and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Dandenong 22% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 A$25.14

$2.24 ฿75.7

689.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 A$73.5

$19.00 ฿642

172.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 A$17.31

$5.55 ฿188

119.46%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.84

$1.67 ฿56.6

146.11%

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

$2.31 A$3.29

$0.64 ฿21.56

260.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 A$3.29

$0.31 ฿10.32

648.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 A$8.02

$2.36 ฿79.6

138.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 A$5.02

$3.66 ฿124

-3.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.14

$1.95 ฿65.8

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.44 ฿48.51

72.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.51

$1.33 ฿45.07

85.71%

Eggs

$5.57 A$7.92

$2.28 ฿77.1

144.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 A$11.89

$16.45 ฿556

-49.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 A$11.02

$2.78 ฿94.0

178.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.87 A$16.87

$9.31 ฿314

27.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.91

$2.35 ฿79.5

46.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.89

$0.97 ฿32.82

182.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.05

$1.60 ฿53.9

33.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.95

$1.50 ฿50.7

38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$1.28 ฿43.15

60.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$1.10 ฿37.22

128.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 A$0.95

$0.71 ฿23.84

-5.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.24

$0.49 ฿16.38

222.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.38 A$64.5

$4.14 ฿140

996.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 A$14.81

$17.52 ฿592

-40.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.76 A$8.19

$1.61 ฿54.5

257.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 A$5.07

$2.78 ฿94.0

28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 A$7.07

$0.87 ฿29.33

472.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 A$6.18

$1.16 ฿39.08

275.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.02

$0.53 ฿17.82

167.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 A$43.32

$2.42 ฿81.8

1159.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.45 ฿48.93

-6.21%

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

$29.9K A$42.6K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

42.22%

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

$24.2K A$34.3K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-10.34%

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

$228 A$324

$62.2 ฿2,100

267.15%

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

$15.81 A$22.46

$12.17 ฿411

29.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.75 A$60.8

$20.12 ฿680

112.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$17.48 A$24.84

$6.49 ฿219

169.34%

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

$2,493 A$3,543

$736 ฿24.9K

238.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K A$43.5K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

107.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.84 A$45.24

$53.4 ฿1,802

-40.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.19 A$24.42

$24.64 ฿832

-30.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$147

$91.5 ฿3,089

13.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 A$162

$71.9 ฿2,429

58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 A$2,997

$1,006 ฿34.0K

109.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 A$1,998

$633 ฿21.4K

122.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,124 A$5,860

$590 ฿19.9K

599.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.57

5.92%

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

Last update for Dandenong: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dandenong

$314 29.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 25.3% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dandenong

$287 26.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 67.1% $192

Eating Out

Dandenong

$281 26.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.4% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Dandenong

$120 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 9.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Dandenong

$35 * 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 43.8% $15

Getting Around

Dandenong

$31 * 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 95.6% $30

Accommodation & Living

Dandenong

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Dandenong are about 7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Dandenong versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

4 h behind Dandenong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,127

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Dandenong Chiang Mai 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Dandenong
Chiang Mai

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

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

Dandenong costs about 14% 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 $1,602 per month in Dandenong and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Dandenong and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Dandenong, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,068 in Dandenong and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,068 in Dandenong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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