Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geraldton and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,504 in Geraldton, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Geraldton
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Geraldton Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Geraldton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,504

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,504 per month in Geraldton vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Geraldton $2,504
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,618 per month in Geraldton vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Geraldton $3,618
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,732 per month in Geraldton vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Geraldton $4,732
Chiang Mai $1,979

Geraldton costs about 168% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Geraldton sits 84% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 A$21.65

$2.24 ฿75.7

580.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 A$120

$19.00 ฿642

342.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.52

$5.55 ฿188

96.76%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.84

$1.67 ฿56.6

146.11%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$0.64 ฿21.56

360.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.36

$0.31 ฿10.32

661.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.71

$2.36 ฿79.6

219.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 A$10.57

$3.66 ฿124

103.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.95 ฿65.8

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 A$3.90

$1.44 ฿48.51

90.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.17

$1.33 ฿45.07

67.67%

Eggs

$5.15 A$7.32

$2.28 ฿77.1

125.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 A$12.66

$16.45 ฿556

-45.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.41

$2.78 ฿94.0

239.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.64 A$23.64

$9.31 ฿314

78.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 A$5.23

$2.35 ฿79.5

56.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.41

$0.97 ฿32.82

219.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.54

$1.60 ฿53.9

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.76

$1.50 ฿50.7

217.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.73

$1.28 ฿43.15

105.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.54

$1.10 ฿37.22

126.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$0.71 ฿23.84

239.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.25

$0.49 ฿16.38

222.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.78 A$59.4

$4.14 ฿140

909.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 A$19.64

$17.52 ฿592

-21.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 A$5.87

$1.61 ฿54.5

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.50

$2.78 ฿94.0

89.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 A$3.80

$0.87 ฿29.33

208.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.6 A$117

$54.1 ฿1,827

52.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 A$5.28

$1.16 ฿39.08

219.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 A$2.56

$0.53 ฿17.82

239.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.10 A$64.1

$2.42 ฿81.8

1763.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.10

$1.45 ฿48.93

2.07%

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

$31.3K A$44.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

48.81%

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

$26.7K A$37.9K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-0.97%

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

$204 A$290

$62.2 ฿2,100

228.20%

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

$27.36 A$38.87

$12.17 ฿411

124.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 A$81.9

$20.12 ฿680

186.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.50 A$68.9

$37.31 ฿1,260

29.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 A$25.97

$3.77 ฿127

384.88%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 A$22.34

$6.49 ฿219

142.22%

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

$1,841 A$2,616

$736 ฿24.9K

150.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K A$25.2K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

20.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 A$95.5

$53.4 ฿1,802

25.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 A$82.2

$24.64 ฿832

134.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$144

$91.5 ฿3,089

11.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$179

$71.9 ฿2,429

75.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 A$2,013

$482 ฿16.3K

193.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,737

$309 ฿10.4K

295.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,186

$1,006 ฿34.0K

122.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 A$2,631

$633 ฿21.4K

192.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,661 A$8,044

$2,363 ฿79.8K

139.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,640 A$6,592

$1,589 ฿53.7K

191.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Geraldton: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geraldton

$1.2K 48.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 74.7% $913

Groceries & Markets

Geraldton

$370 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 36.6% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geraldton

$289 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 67.3% $195

Eating Out

Geraldton

$278 11.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.1% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Geraldton

$159 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 31.6% $50

Getting Around

Geraldton

$106 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 42.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Geraldton

$80 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 37.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,417 in Geraldton versus $482 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 $84 in Geraldton versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Geraldton

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

21:06 9:06 PM

1 h behind Geraldton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,717

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 = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Geraldton Chiang Mai 5,550 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Geraldton
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

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

Geraldton costs about 168% 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 $3,755 per month in Geraldton 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 $482 there versus $1,417 in Geraldton.

Kindergarten costs $1,841 per month in Geraldton and $736 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 Geraldton, 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 $2,504 in Geraldton and $936 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 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 168% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.