Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Douglas and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,579 in Port Douglas, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Port Douglas
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Port Douglas Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Port Douglas

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,579

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,579 per month in Port Douglas vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Douglas $2,579
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,766 per month in Port Douglas vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Douglas $3,766
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,952 per month in Port Douglas vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Douglas $4,952
Chiang Mai $1,999

Port Douglas costs about 176% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Port Douglas sits 91% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.40 A$25.31

$2.13 ฿71.6

716.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 A$141

$18.62 ฿624

419.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.54 A$18.24

$5.60 ฿188

123.93%

Cappuccino

$4.31 A$6.28

$1.66 ฿55.8

159.64%

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

$3.20 A$4.66

$0.65 ฿21.69

392.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 A$4.01

$0.30 ฿10.22

820.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 A$9.90

$2.32 ฿77.9

193.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 A$12.51

$3.67 ฿123

134.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 A$2.71

$2.02 ฿67.6

-7.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 A$3.85

$1.41 ฿47.21

87.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.74

$1.39 ฿46.67

84.89%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.81

$2.37 ฿79.4

126.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 A$13.32

$16.52 ฿554

-44.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 A$20.00

$2.67 ฿89.5

414.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 A$21.92

$9.02 ฿302

67.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.92

$2.40 ฿80.4

69.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.11

$1.04 ฿34.91

172.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.16

$1.66 ฿55.6

113.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 A$8.68

$1.56 ฿52.3

282.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.61

$1.24 ฿41.50

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.80

$1.09 ฿36.44

139.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 A$4.00

$0.76 ฿25.54

261.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 A$3.82

$0.51 ฿17.24

413.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.42 A$64.6

$4.12 ฿138

978.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 A$20.57

$17.93 ฿601

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 A$5.14

$1.62 ฿54.4

118.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.57

$2.82 ฿94.6

84.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.06

$0.93 ฿31.33

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 A$124

$52.9 ฿1,773

60.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 A$3.78

$1.18 ฿39.45

120.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 A$2.87

$0.17 ฿5.75

1058.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.92 A$62.4

$1.81 ฿60.8

2271.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.87

$1.47 ฿49.38

-12.93%

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

$28.9K A$42.0K

$21.0K ฿704.5K

37.49%

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

$31.4K A$45.6K

$26.5K ฿889.1K

18.37%

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

$161 A$234

$62.6 ฿2,098

156.99%

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

$35.46 A$51.6

$11.60 ฿389

205.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 A$95.3

$20.30 ฿681

222.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 A$80.1

$37.88 ฿1,270

45.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.85 A$25.96

$3.70 ฿124

382.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 A$20.01

$6.51 ฿218

111.37%

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

$2,120 A$3,083

$727 ฿24.4K

191.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K A$20.6K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-14.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 A$133

$53.5 ฿1,795

70.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.5 A$106

$24.80 ฿832

192.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 A$181

$90.4 ฿3,031

38.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$188

$72.0 ฿2,413

79.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 A$2,036

$481 ฿16.1K

190.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,779

$310 ฿10.4K

294.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,296 A$3,339

$1,058 ฿35.5K

116.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 A$2,624

$659 ฿22.1K

173.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,744 A$8,353

$2,418 ฿81.1K

137.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,972 A$7,231

$1,609 ฿53.9K

209.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

5.57

13.46%

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

Last update for Port Douglas: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Douglas

$1.2K 47.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 74.7% $913

Groceries & Markets

Port Douglas

$411 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 42.4% $175

Eating Out

Port Douglas

$304 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 74.8% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Douglas

$262 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 63.9% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Port Douglas

$188 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 42.4% $80

Getting Around

Port Douglas

$109 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 46% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Port Douglas

$83 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 38.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,400 in Port Douglas 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 $97 in Port Douglas versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Douglas

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

21:09 9:09 PM

3 h behind Port Douglas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.688 USD

1 AUD = 0.612 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.45 AUD (1 AUD = 0.688 USD). 1 EUR = 1.63 AUD (1 AUD = 0.612 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Douglas Chiang Mai 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Douglas
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

Port Douglas vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Douglas costs about 176% 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 $3,869 per month in Port Douglas 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 $1,400 in Port Douglas.

Kindergarten costs $2,120 per month in Port Douglas 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 74% more in Port Douglas, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,579 in Port Douglas 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 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.