Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in Karratha vs $847 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,422 per month in Karratha vs $1,332 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,482 per month in Karratha vs $1,816 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karratha costs about 179% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karratha sits 77% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.01 A$40.11

$2.03 ฿68.4

1279.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$112

$18.71 ฿630

319.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 A$12.66

$7.84 ฿264

12.76%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.19

$1.93 ฿64.9

87.56%

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

$2.99 A$4.28

$0.83 ฿28.00

260.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.23

$0.35 ฿11.80

542.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 A$9.45

$2.22 ฿74.8

197.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 A$9.90

$3.79 ฿128

82.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.65 ฿55.4

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 A$3.39

$1.55 ฿52.3

52.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.82

$1.18 ฿39.79

66.95%

Eggs

$4.43 A$6.34

$2.01 ฿67.9

120.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.40

$16.16 ฿544

-46.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 A$12.20

$3.03 ฿102

181.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 A$19.26

$10.84 ฿365

24.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.71

$2.68 ฿90.3

22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.97

$1.22 ฿41.14

127.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.15

$1.63 ฿54.8

77.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.93

$1.53 ฿51.5

170.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$1.34 ฿45.10

79.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.11

$1.21 ฿40.86

79.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 A$3.10

$0.70 ฿23.63

210.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.26

$0.53 ฿17.70

198.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.34 A$44.88

$4.69 ฿158

568.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 A$19.18

$17.71 ฿597

-24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.60 A$6.58

$1.85 ฿62.2

148.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.81

$3.21 ฿108

69.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 A$3.64

$0.89 ฿30.01

185.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$94.1

$18.76 ฿632

250.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.25

$1.41 ฿47.40

160.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$1.29 ฿43.52

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.34 A$47.74

$7.79 ฿262

327.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.69

$1.29 ฿43.59

-8.53%

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

$28.9K A$41.4K

$21.8K ฿733.4K

32.70%

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

$22.2K A$31.7K

$21.7K ฿730.7K

2.17%

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

$182 A$261

$70.0 ฿2,358

160.37%

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

$27.15 A$38.88

$14.19 ฿478

91.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$74.2

$17.42 ฿587

197.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.09 A$68.9

$41.64 ฿1,403

15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 A$22.39

$6.89 ฿232

127.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 A$18.45

$5.78 ฿195

123.01%

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

$1,629 A$2,332

$300 ฿10.1K

443.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$17.0K

$14.5K ฿489.2K

-18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 A$98.6

$55.4 ฿1,865

24.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$73.5

$26.31 ฿886

94.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$143

$84.8 ฿2,858

17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$154

$70.5 ฿2,375

52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 A$1,835

$425 ฿14.3K

201.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 A$1,500

$235 ฿7,919

345.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 A$2,881

$802 ฿27.0K

150.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 A$2,421

$516 ฿17.4K

227.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,518 A$9,334

$1,926 ฿64.9K

238.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,812 A$8,323

$1,451 ฿48.9K

300.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

26.80%

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

Last update for Karratha: July 22, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,282 in Karratha versus $425 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 $79.0 in Karratha versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $242 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Karratha costs about 179% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,544 per month in Karratha and $1,271 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,629 per month in Karratha and $300 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Karratha, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Karratha at $2,363. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karratha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $847 versus $2,363 in Karratha. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Karratha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.