Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orange, NSW and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,758 in Orange, NSW, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Orange, NSW
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Orange, NSW Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Orange, NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,758

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,758 per month in Orange, NSW vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Orange, NSW $1,758
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,957 per month in Orange, NSW vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Orange, NSW $2,957
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,156 per month in Orange, NSW vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Orange, NSW $4,156
Chiang Mai $1,979

Orange, NSW costs about 88% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Orange, NSW sits 29% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.12 A$20.08

$2.24 ฿75.6

530.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 A$111

$19.00 ฿641

309.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 A$14.93

$5.55 ฿187

89.01%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.85

$1.67 ฿56.5

104.19%

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

$3.11 A$4.42

$0.64 ฿21.55

385.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$0.31 ฿10.31

629.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 A$10.23

$2.36 ฿79.6

204.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.77

$3.66 ฿124

87.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.63

$1.95 ฿65.8

-41.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 A$4.06

$1.44 ฿48.48

98.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$1.33 ฿45.04

54.14%

Eggs

$3.82 A$5.43

$2.28 ฿77.1

67.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 A$11.83

$16.45 ฿555

-49.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.26

$2.78 ฿93.9

210.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 A$20.16

$9.31 ฿314

52.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.32

$2.35 ฿79.4

28.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.48

$0.97 ฿32.80

152.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.75

$1.60 ฿53.9

108.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 A$5.38

$1.50 ฿50.6

152.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 A$2.56

$1.28 ฿43.12

40.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.51

$1.10 ฿37.19

124.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 A$2.81

$0.71 ฿23.82

178.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.51

$0.49 ฿16.37

259.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.92 A$49.66

$4.14 ฿140

743.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 A$16.24

$17.52 ฿591

-34.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 A$3.88

$1.61 ฿54.5

69.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.97

$2.78 ฿94.0

76.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$3.97

$0.87 ฿29.31

220.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 A$118

$54.1 ฿1,826

53.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 A$3.49

$1.16 ฿39.06

111.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.26

$0.53 ฿17.80

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.72 A$50.8

$2.42 ฿81.8

1376.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.45 ฿48.90

-7.59%

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

$29.6K A$42.1K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

40.61%

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

$24.8K A$35.3K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-7.93%

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

$162 A$231

$62.2 ฿2,098

161.32%

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

$17.88 A$25.42

$12.17 ฿411

46.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 A$72.5

$20.12 ฿679

153.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$74.0

$37.31 ฿1,259

39.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.57 A$24.99

$3.77 ฿127

366.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 A$18.81

$6.49 ฿219

103.85%

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

$2,148 A$3,056

$736 ฿24.8K

191.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K A$32.0K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

52.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 A$79.2

$53.4 ฿1,801

4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 A$87.3

$24.64 ฿831

149.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 A$210

$91.5 ฿3,087

61.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$71.9 ฿2,428

53.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 A$1,173

$482 ฿16.3K

70.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 A$848

$309 ฿10.4K

92.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 A$2,044

$1,006 ฿33.9K

42.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 A$2,147

$633 ฿21.4K

138.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,655 A$8,043

$2,363 ฿79.8K

139.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 A$7,601

$1,589 ฿53.6K

236.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,713 A$6,703

$590 ฿19.9K

699.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

5.57

-6.10%

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

Last update for Orange, NSW: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Orange, NSW

$596 33.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 48.2% $287

Groceries & Markets

Orange, NSW

$322 18.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 27.2% $87

Eating Out

Orange, NSW

$256 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 69.7% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orange, NSW

$231 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 59.2% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Orange, NSW

$169 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 35.7% $60

Getting Around

Orange, NSW

$105 6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 41.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Orange, NSW

$79 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 35.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $825 in Orange, NSW 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.

Salaries in Orange, NSW are about 8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Orange, NSW versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Orange, NSW

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

4 h behind Orange, NSW

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,127

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Orange, NSW Chiang Mai 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Orange, NSW
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

Orange, NSW vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orange, NSW costs about 88% 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 $2,637 per month in Orange, NSW 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 $825 in Orange, NSW.

Kindergarten costs $2,148 per month in Orange, NSW 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 37% more in Orange, NSW, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,758 in Orange, NSW 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Orange, NSW makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.