Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroochydore and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,355 in Maroochydore, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,355

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,355 per month in Maroochydore vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maroochydore $2,355
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,592 per month in Maroochydore vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maroochydore $3,592
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in Maroochydore vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maroochydore $4,828
Chiang Mai $1,914

Maroochydore costs about 151% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Maroochydore sits 74% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 A$20.23

$2.26 ฿75.4

521.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 A$138

$19.18 ฿641

399.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 A$13.01

$5.59 ฿187

61.72%

Cappuccino

$3.77 A$5.42

$1.72 ฿57.6

119.19%

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

$2.58 A$3.72

$0.64 ฿21.54

303.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$0.33 ฿11.18

548.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 A$5.91

$2.36 ฿78.7

73.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 A$10.72

$3.90 ฿130

91.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.23

$2.05 ฿68.6

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 A$3.75

$1.40 ฿46.70

86.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.42

$1.28 ฿42.89

85.94%

Eggs

$4.76 A$6.85

$2.25 ฿75.3

111.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 A$12.52

$16.94 ฿566

-48.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 A$13.24

$2.74 ฿91.6

235.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 A$21.41

$9.36 ฿313

58.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.60

$2.40 ฿80.3

62.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.48

$1.01 ฿33.92

208.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.71

$1.61 ฿53.9

60.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.37

$1.52 ฿50.7

145.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.74

$1.28 ฿42.90

103.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.03

$1.11 ฿37.22

89.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 A$3.65

$0.72 ฿24.09

251.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 A$2.13

$0.52 ฿17.54

184.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.93 A$34.44

$4.33 ฿145

452.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 A$15.17

$17.73 ฿593

-40.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.98 A$8.60

$1.63 ฿54.4

266.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 A$8.32

$2.85 ฿95.3

102.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 A$0.96

$0.85 ฿28.31

-21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 A$104

$53.9 ฿1,801

33.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 A$2.89

$1.17 ฿39.18

71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.57 ฿19.00

157.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.38 A$52.4

$2.37 ฿79.2

1435.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.97

$1.45 ฿48.32

-5.52%

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

$26.8K A$38.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

30.66%

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

$23.3K A$33.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-12.31%

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

$217 A$312

$62.3 ฿2,083

247.57%

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

$30.09 A$43.29

$12.27 ฿410

145.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 A$78.2

$19.97 ฿668

172.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 A$82.1

$37.91 ฿1,267

50.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.41

$3.76 ฿126

369.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.96

$6.71 ฿224

96.42%

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

$2,157 A$3,105

$797 ฿26.6K

170.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-20.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 A$110

$53.3 ฿1,780

43.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 A$77.3

$25.05 ฿837

114.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$151

$91.6 ฿3,062

14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$174

$73.5 ฿2,455

64.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 A$1,675

$464 ฿15.5K

150.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 A$1,627

$305 ฿10.2K

271.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 A$2,956

$915 ฿30.6K

124.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 A$2,912

$552 ฿18.5K

266.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,041 A$8,693

$1,912 ฿63.9K

215.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,962 A$8,579

$1,438 ฿48.1K

314.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,836 A$4,080

$595 ฿19.9K

376.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

5.57

2.15%

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

Last update for Maroochydore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maroochydore

$1.1K 48%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 73.1% $826

Groceries & Markets

Maroochydore

$356 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 33.2% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroochydore

$301 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 68.6% $206

Eating Out

Maroochydore

$239 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 67% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Maroochydore

$160 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 31.6% $51

Getting Around

Maroochydore

$84 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 27.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Maroochydore

$83 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 38.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in Maroochydore versus $464 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 run about 376% higher in Maroochydore, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Maroochydore versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

18:06 6:06 PM

3 h behind Maroochydore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maroochydore Chiang Mai 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Maroochydore
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

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

Maroochydore costs about 151% 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 $3,533 per month in Maroochydore and $1,408 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 $2,157 per month in Maroochydore and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Maroochydore, 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 $938, than in Maroochydore at $2,355. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maroochydore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,355 in Maroochydore. 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, Maroochydore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.