Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ningi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,553 in Ningi, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Ningi
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Ningi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ningi

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,553

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,553 per month in Ningi vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ningi $2,553
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,631 per month in Ningi vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ningi $3,631
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,709 per month in Ningi vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ningi $4,709
Chiang Mai $1,999

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

Ningi 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

$21.16 A$30.29

$2.13 ฿72.0

893.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 A$99.0

$18.62 ฿628

271.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 A$9.99

$5.60 ฿189

24.64%

Cappuccino

$2.51 A$3.60

$1.66 ฿56.1

51.20%

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

$2.22 A$3.17

$0.65 ฿21.83

241.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.38

$0.30 ฿10.29

686.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.50 A$10.73

$2.32 ฿78.4

223.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 A$10.97

$3.67 ฿124

108.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.27

$2.02 ฿68.0

-21.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 A$3.94

$1.41 ฿47.51

95.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$1.39 ฿46.96

72.66%

Eggs

$4.98 A$7.14

$2.37 ฿79.9

110.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 A$12.95

$16.52 ฿557

-45.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.36

$2.67 ฿90.1

249.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 A$20.75

$9.02 ฿304

60.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.69

$2.40 ฿80.9

65.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.42

$1.04 ฿35.13

197.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.92

$1.66 ฿56.0

107.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.97

$1.56 ฿52.6

167.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$1.24 ฿41.76

105.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.66

$1.09 ฿36.66

134.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.56

$0.76 ฿25.70

227.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 A$2.20

$0.51 ฿17.35

201.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.9

$4.12 ฿139

983.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.49 A$20.74

$17.93 ฿605

-19.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.72 A$8.19

$1.62 ฿54.8

253.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 A$9.44

$2.82 ฿95.2

133.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.82

$0.93 ฿31.53

187.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.3 A$121

$52.9 ฿1,785

59.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 A$3.15

$1.18 ฿39.70

86.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.26

$0.17 ฿5.79

829.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.09 A$51.7

$1.81 ฿61.1

1893.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.96

$1.47 ฿49.69

-6.80%

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

$29.6K A$42.3K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

40.78%

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

$26.4K A$37.8K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-0.52%

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

$223 A$319

$62.6 ฿2,111

256.27%

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

$30.27 A$43.33

$11.60 ฿392

160.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$76.0

$20.30 ฿685

161.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 A$81.3

$37.88 ฿1,278

49.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 A$25.58

$3.70 ฿125

382.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 A$19.33

$6.51 ฿220

107.37%

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

$2,179 A$3,119

$727 ฿24.5K

199.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.3K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-27.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 A$109

$53.5 ฿1,807

41.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 A$79.4

$24.80 ฿837

123.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$90.4 ฿3,050

16.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$173

$72.0 ฿2,428

67.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 A$2,011

$481 ฿16.2K

191.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,761

$310 ฿10.5K

297.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 A$3,163

$1,058 ฿35.7K

108.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 A$2,619

$659 ฿22.2K

177.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,826 A$8,339

$2,418 ฿81.6K

140.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,872 A$6,974

$1,609 ฿54.3K

202.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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 Ningi: 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

Ningi

$1.2K 48.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 74.8% $921

Groceries & Markets

Ningi

$375 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 36.9% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ningi

$306 12%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 69.2% $212

Eating Out

Ningi

$292 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 73.7% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Ningi

$161 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 32.7% $53

Getting Around

Ningi

$105 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 44.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ningi

$84 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 39.3% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,405 in Ningi 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Ningi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Ningi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

00:51 12:51 AM

3 h behind Ningi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ningi Chiang Mai 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ningi
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

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

Ningi 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 $3,830 per month in Ningi 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 $1,405 in Ningi.

Kindergarten costs $2,179 per month in Ningi 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 59% more in Ningi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,553 in Ningi 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 63% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.