Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Esperance and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,558 in Esperance, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Esperance
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Esperance Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Esperance

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,558

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,558 per month in Esperance vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Esperance $2,558
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,665 per month in Esperance vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Esperance $3,665
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,771 per month in Esperance vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Esperance $4,771
Chiang Mai $1,999

Esperance costs about 173% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Esperance sits 89% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 A$24.73

$2.13 ฿72.0

709.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 A$120

$18.62 ฿628

348.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 A$15.01

$5.60 ฿189

86.79%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.78

$1.66 ฿56.1

142.77%

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

$2.93 A$4.20

$0.65 ฿21.82

350.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.17

$0.30 ฿10.29

636.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 A$11.10

$2.32 ฿78.3

233.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 A$10.76

$3.67 ฿124

104.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.26

$2.02 ฿68.0

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.84

$1.41 ฿47.49

90.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.39 ฿46.94

68.35%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.17

$2.37 ฿79.9

110.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.65

$16.52 ฿557

-42.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.51

$2.67 ฿90.1

252.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 A$21.60

$9.02 ฿304

66.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.51

$2.40 ฿80.9

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.34

$1.04 ฿35.12

191.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.72

$1.66 ฿56.0

98.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.59

$1.56 ฿52.6

194.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.93

$1.24 ฿41.75

120.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.55

$1.09 ฿36.65

127.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.46

$0.76 ฿25.70

217.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.51 ฿17.34

205.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.02 A$60.3

$4.12 ฿139

919.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$20.07

$17.93 ฿605

-21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 A$6.87

$1.62 ฿54.8

195.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 A$7.38

$2.82 ฿95.2

82.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$4.00

$0.93 ฿31.52

198.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.9 A$120

$52.9 ฿1,784

58.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.11

$1.18 ฿39.69

201.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$0.17 ฿5.78

835.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.58 A$56.8

$1.81 ฿61.1

2086.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.47 ฿49.67

-7.48%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

39.70%

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

$25.9K A$37.2K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-2.14%

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

$206 A$296

$62.6 ฿2,110

229.88%

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

$27.93 A$40.07

$11.60 ฿391

140.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.4

$20.30 ฿685

183.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 A$80.4

$37.88 ฿1,278

48.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 A$25.69

$3.70 ฿125

384.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 A$20.24

$6.51 ฿220

116.74%

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

$2,167 A$3,108

$727 ฿24.5K

198.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K A$29.7K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

25.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 A$113

$53.5 ฿1,806

46.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$77.3

$24.80 ฿836

117.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$155

$90.4 ฿3,049

19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$72.0 ฿2,428

69.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 A$2,028

$481 ฿16.2K

193.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 A$1,795

$310 ฿10.5K

303.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 A$3,231

$1,058 ฿35.7K

112.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 A$2,646

$659 ฿22.2K

180.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,806 A$8,330

$2,418 ฿81.5K

140.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 A$7,127

$1,609 ฿54.3K

208.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,547 A$5,089

$595 ฿20.1K

496.38%

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 Esperance: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Esperance

$1.3K 48.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75.2% $941

Groceries & Markets

Esperance

$370 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 36% $133

Eating Out

Esperance

$292 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 73.8% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Esperance

$292 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 67.6% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Esperance

$163 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 33.6% $55

Getting Around

Esperance

$107 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 44.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Esperance

$84 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 39.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,413 in Esperance 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.

Salaries in Esperance are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Esperance versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Esperance

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h behind Esperance

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,218

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.622 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Esperance Chiang Mai 6,340 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Esperance
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

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

Esperance costs about 173% 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 $3,838 per month in Esperance 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 $1,413 in Esperance.

Kindergarten costs $2,167 per month in Esperance 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 56% more in Esperance, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,558 in Esperance 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.

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