Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Double Bay and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,538 in Double Bay, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Double Bay
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Double Bay Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Double Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,538

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Double Bay 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 Double Bay and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,538 per month in Double Bay vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Double Bay $2,538
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,676 per month in Double Bay vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Double Bay $3,676
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,815 per month in Double Bay vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Double Bay $4,815
Chiang Mai $1,999

Double Bay costs about 171% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Double Bay sits 88% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.83 A$25.58

$2.13 ฿72.0

737.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 A$131

$18.62 ฿628

389.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 A$15.17

$5.60 ฿189

88.75%

Cappuccino

$3.86 A$5.54

$1.66 ฿56.1

132.53%

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

$2.76 A$3.96

$0.65 ฿21.82

324.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.26

$0.30 ฿10.29

656.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.67

$2.32 ฿78.3

250.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 A$10.82

$3.67 ฿124

105.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 A$2.21

$2.02 ฿68.0

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 A$4.09

$1.41 ฿47.49

102.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.57

$1.39 ฿46.94

79.14%

Eggs

$5.20 A$7.46

$2.37 ฿79.9

119.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 A$17.27

$16.52 ฿557

-27.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 A$14.01

$2.67 ฿90.1

265.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 A$22.27

$9.02 ฿304

72.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 A$5.86

$2.40 ฿80.9

70.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.45

$1.04 ฿35.12

198.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.77

$1.66 ฿56.0

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.14

$1.56 ฿52.6

174.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.39

$1.24 ฿41.75

146.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.43

$1.09 ฿36.65

119.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.40

$0.76 ฿25.70

211.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.67

$0.51 ฿17.34

129.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.22 A$64.9

$4.12 ฿139

997.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 A$20.27

$17.93 ฿605

-21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.09 A$5.87

$1.62 ฿54.8

152.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 A$5.97

$2.82 ฿95.2

47.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 A$4.02

$0.93 ฿31.52

201.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 A$122

$52.9 ฿1,784

60.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 A$4.98

$1.18 ฿39.69

194.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.27

$0.17 ฿5.78

835.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.88 A$58.7

$1.81 ฿61.1

2158.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.47 ฿49.67

-9.52%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

33.80%

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

$26.2K A$37.6K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-1.17%

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

$183 A$262

$62.6 ฿2,110

191.83%

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

$26.84 A$38.51

$11.60 ฿391

131.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 A$81.6

$20.30 ฿685

180.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 A$81.8

$37.88 ฿1,278

50.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.99 A$25.81

$3.70 ฿125

386.22%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 A$22.42

$6.51 ฿220

140.09%

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

$2,366 A$3,394

$727 ฿24.5K

225.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.9K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

21.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 A$112

$53.5 ฿1,806

45.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$82.3

$24.80 ฿836

131.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$152

$90.4 ฿3,049

16.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$185

$72.0 ฿2,428

79.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 A$1,978

$481 ฿16.2K

186.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 A$1,777

$310 ฿10.5K

299.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 A$3,199

$1,058 ฿35.7K

110.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 A$2,628

$659 ฿22.2K

178.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,493

$2,418 ฿81.5K

144.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,936 A$7,081

$1,609 ฿54.3K

206.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.57

6.28%

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

Last update for Double Bay: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Double Bay

$1.2K 48.8%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75% $928

Groceries & Markets

Double Bay

$374 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 36.8% $138

Eating Out

Double Bay

$297 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 74.2% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Double Bay

$266 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.5% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Double Bay

$167 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 35% $58

Getting Around

Double Bay

$107 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 45.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Double Bay

$88 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 42.3% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Double Bay versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Double Bay versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Double Bay

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

09:55 9:55 AM

4 h behind Double Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,651

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.697 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Double Bay Chiang Mai 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Double Bay
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

Double Bay vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Double Bay costs about 171% 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 $3,806 per month in Double Bay and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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 $481 there versus $1,378 in Double Bay.

Kindergarten costs $2,366 per month in Double Bay and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Double Bay, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,538 in Double Bay and $935 in Chiang Mai. 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 63% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.