Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,473 in Karratha, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Karratha
Learn more

Karratha Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Karratha

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,473

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,473 per month in Karratha vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karratha $2,473
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Karratha vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karratha $3,581
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,690 per month in Karratha vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karratha $4,690
Chiang Mai $1,903

Karratha costs about 167% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Karratha sits 83% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 A$24.99

$2.29 ฿77.2

668.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 A$117

$19.64 ฿663

320.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 A$14.66

$5.61 ฿189

83.78%

Cappuccino

$3.88 A$5.52

$1.66 ฿56.1

133.73%

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

$2.83 A$4.02

$0.70 ฿23.62

304.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.11

$0.31 ฿10.33

606.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 A$10.72

$2.41 ฿81.2

212.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 A$10.77

$3.71 ฿125

104.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.95 ฿65.9

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.86

$1.41 ฿47.48

92.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.21

$1.31 ฿44.04

72.52%

Eggs

$4.83 A$6.86

$2.18 ฿73.6

121.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.39

$16.65 ฿562

-43.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 A$13.39

$2.76 ฿93.1

241.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 A$21.15

$9.11 ฿307

63.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 A$5.65

$2.39 ฿80.7

66.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.42

$1.03 ฿34.59

201.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.68

$1.63 ฿54.9

101.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.75

$1.50 ฿50.5

216.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.29 ฿43.54

117.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.40

$1.11 ฿37.38

115.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.31

$0.72 ฿24.31

223.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.09

$0.53 ฿17.76

177.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.46 A$58.9

$4.31 ฿145

861.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 A$19.39

$17.95 ฿605

-23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 A$6.76

$1.58 ฿53.4

201.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.60

$2.84 ฿95.9

88.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.11

$0.86 ฿29.14

236.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 A$117

$53.3 ฿1,798

54.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.81

$1.21 ฿40.67

179.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.24

$0.57 ฿19.17

177.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.46 A$56.1

$2.35 ฿79.4

1579.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.44 ฿48.42

-5.56%

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

$27.0K A$38.3K

$20.7K ฿699.4K

30.12%

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

$29.6K A$42.1K

$26.8K ฿904.2K

10.51%

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

$202 A$286

$62.3 ฿2,103

223.39%

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

$27.87 A$39.60

$12.11 ฿409

130.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$78.7

$19.94 ฿673

177.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$80.6

$37.07 ฿1,251

52.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.10

$3.78 ฿127

367.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 A$21.00

$6.50 ฿219

127.38%

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

$2,176 A$3,091

$793 ฿26.7K

174.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.0K

$14.8K ฿499.6K

37.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 A$110

$53.7 ฿1,813

44.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 A$77.7

$24.62 ฿831

121.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$153

$90.9 ฿3,065

18.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$171

$71.1 ฿2,400

69.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,976

$455 ฿15.4K

205.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 A$1,671

$298 ฿10.0K

294.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 A$3,003

$908 ฿30.6K

132.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,527

$554 ฿18.7K

221.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,861 A$8,328

$1,931 ฿65.1K

203.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 A$7,020

$1,445 ฿48.7K

242.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.57

4.85%

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

Last update for Karratha: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karratha

$1.2K 47.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 74.7% $878

Groceries & Markets

Karratha

$368 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 36% $133

Eating Out

Karratha

$291 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 73% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karratha

$285 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 66.9% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Karratha

$162 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 33.3% $54

Getting Around

Karratha

$105 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 42.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Karratha

$86 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 42% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Karratha versus $455 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 $83 in Karratha versus $20 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Karratha

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

1 h behind Karratha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,013

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 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 October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karratha Chiang Mai 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karratha
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

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

Karratha costs about 167% 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 $3,710 per month in Karratha and $1,388 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 $455 there versus $1,391 in Karratha.

Kindergarten costs $2,176 per month in Karratha and $793 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 Karratha, 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 $2,473 in Karratha and $925 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 167% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.