Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Macquarie and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,530 in Port Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Port Macquarie vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Macquarie $2,530
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Port Macquarie vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Macquarie $3,581
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,633 per month in Port Macquarie vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Macquarie $4,633
Chiang Mai $1,979

Port Macquarie costs about 170% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Port Macquarie sits 86% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$24.77

$2.24 ฿75.6

677.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 A$125

$19.00 ฿641

362.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 A$14.87

$5.55 ฿187

88.29%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.64

$1.67 ฿56.5

137.13%

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

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.64 ฿21.55

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.31

$0.31 ฿10.31

422.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 A$8.76

$2.36 ฿79.6

161.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 A$8.85

$3.66 ฿124

69.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.95 ฿65.8

10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.44

$1.44 ฿48.48

116.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.09

$1.33 ฿45.04

115.79%

Eggs

$5.24 A$7.45

$2.28 ฿77.1

129.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 A$7.57

$16.45 ฿555

-67.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 A$14.69

$2.78 ฿93.9

271.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.17 A$17.31

$9.31 ฿314

30.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$2.35 ฿79.4

34.04%

Banana (1kg)

$4.21 A$5.99

$0.97 ฿32.80

334.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.43

$1.60 ฿53.9

50.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 A$6.92

$1.50 ฿50.6

224.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.46

$1.28 ฿43.12

89.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$1.10 ฿37.19

116.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 A$2.27

$0.71 ฿23.82

125.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$0.49 ฿16.37

212.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.83 A$60.9

$4.14 ฿140

934.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 A$14.68

$17.52 ฿591

-41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.34 A$6.17

$1.61 ฿54.5

169.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 A$7.65

$2.78 ฿94.0

93.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 A$4.01

$0.87 ฿29.31

224.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 A$131

$54.1 ฿1,826

70.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 A$4.80

$1.16 ฿39.06

190.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 A$2.43

$0.53 ฿17.80

222.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.86 A$52.4

$2.42 ฿81.8

1423.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.79

$1.45 ฿48.90

-13.10%

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

$26.4K A$37.5K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

25.36%

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

$22.1K A$31.4K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-18.08%

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

$210 A$299

$62.2 ฿2,098

237.65%

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

$30.48 A$43.35

$12.17 ฿411

150.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 A$85.1

$20.12 ฿679

197.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 A$73.9

$37.31 ฿1,259

39.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.97 A$14.18

$3.77 ฿127

164.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 A$15.34

$6.49 ฿219

66.26%

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

$2,172 A$3,089

$736 ฿24.8K

195.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K A$30.7K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

46.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 A$123

$53.4 ฿1,801

62.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.1

$24.64 ฿831

122.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$91.5 ฿3,087

14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$71.9 ฿2,428

53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 A$1,962

$482 ฿16.3K

186.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 A$1,776

$309 ฿10.4K

304.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 A$3,062

$1,006 ฿33.9K

114.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 A$2,475

$633 ฿21.4K

174.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,822 A$8,280

$2,363 ฿79.8K

146.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,964 A$7,060

$1,589 ฿53.6K

212.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 A$3,961

$590 ฿19.9K

372.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.57

-4.31%

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

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.3% $940

Groceries & Markets

Port Macquarie

$354 14%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 33.8% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Macquarie

$300 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 68.5% $206

Eating Out

Port Macquarie

$278 11%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.1% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Port Macquarie

$161 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 32.3% $52

Getting Around

Port Macquarie

$115 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 46.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Port Macquarie

$73 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 31.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,379 in Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Port Macquarie versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

18:43 6:43 PM

4 h behind Port Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,793

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 = 2.66 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 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Macquarie Chiang Mai 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Port Macquarie costs about 170% 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 $3,795 per month in Port Macquarie 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 $1,379 in Port Macquarie.

Kindergarten costs $2,172 per month in Port Macquarie 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 51% more in Port Macquarie, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,530 in Port Macquarie 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, Port Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.