Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Romsey and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,694 in Romsey, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Romsey, Australia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Romsey
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,694
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,694 per month in Romsey vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Romsey $2,694
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,837 per month in Romsey vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Romsey $3,837
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,980 per month in Romsey vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Romsey $4,980
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Romsey costs about 188% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Romsey sits 98% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.31 A$24.61
$2.24 ฿75.6
672.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.8 A$121
$19.00 ฿641
346.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 A$17.52
$5.55 ฿187
121.98%
Cappuccino
$3.96 A$5.64
$1.67 ฿56.5
137.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 A$4.48
$0.64 ฿21.53
392.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 A$3.48
$0.31 ฿10.30
690.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.96 A$14.17
$2.36 ฿79.5
322.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.29 A$11.79
$3.66 ฿124
126.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 A$2.14
$1.95 ฿65.7
-22.56%
White Bread (500g)
$3.00 A$4.27
$1.44 ฿48.45
108.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.58 A$3.66
$1.33 ฿45.01
93.98%
Eggs
$5.67 A$8.06
$2.28 ฿77.0
148.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.44 A$14.84
$16.45 ฿555
-36.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.68 A$13.77
$2.78 ฿93.8
248.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.27 A$21.71
$9.31 ฿314
64.02%
Apples (1kg)
$4.02 A$5.72
$2.35 ฿79.4
71.06%
Banana (1kg)
$3.03 A$4.31
$0.97 ฿32.78
212.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 A$4.59
$1.60 ฿53.9
101.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 A$6.65
$1.50 ฿50.6
212.00%
Potato (1kg)
$3.11 A$4.42
$1.28 ฿43.10
142.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 A$3.69
$1.10 ฿37.17
136.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 A$3.57
$0.71 ฿23.81
253.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 A$2.35
$0.49 ฿16.36
236.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.54 A$64.8
$4.14 ฿140
1000.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.43 A$17.68
$17.52 ฿591
-29.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.54 A$7.88
$1.61 ฿54.5
244.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.30 A$7.54
$2.78 ฿93.9
90.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 A$4.15
$0.87 ฿29.29
235.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$92.0 A$131
$54.1 ฿1,825
70.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.47 A$6.35
$1.16 ฿39.03
285.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 A$2.01
$0.53 ฿17.79
167.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.19 A$42.93
$2.42 ฿81.7
1147.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 A$2.06
$1.45 ฿48.87
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K A$41.2K
$21.1K ฿710.3K
37.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K A$37.4K
$26.9K ฿908.7K
-2.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$235 A$335
$62.2 ฿2,097
278.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.75 A$39.45
$12.17 ฿410
128.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.5 A$80.3
$20.12 ฿679
180.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.6 A$76.2
$37.31 ฿1,259
43.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.43 A$21.93
$3.77 ฿127
309.28%
Cinema Ticket
$17.79 A$25.29
$6.49 ฿219
174.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,419 A$3,439
$736 ฿24.8K
228.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.0K A$42.7K
$14.8K ฿498.0K
103.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.5 A$114
$53.4 ฿1,800
50.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 A$72.8
$24.64 ฿831
107.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 A$171
$91.5 ฿3,086
31.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 A$193
$71.9 ฿2,426
88.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,439 A$2,046
$482 ฿16.3K
198.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,298 A$1,846
$309 ฿10.4K
320.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,944 A$2,764
$1,006 ฿33.9K
93.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,900 A$2,702
$633 ฿21.4K
199.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,239 A$7,449
$2,363 ฿79.7K
121.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,491 A$6,386
$1,589 ฿53.6K
182.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Romsey
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.57
5.92%

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

Last update for Romsey: 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
Romsey
$1.3K
Chiang Mai
$309 76.2% $990
Groceries & Markets
Romsey
$386
Chiang Mai
$234 39.3% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Romsey
$320
Chiang Mai
$94 70.4% $225
Eating Out
Romsey
$312
Chiang Mai
$78 75.1% $234
Clothing & Footwear
Romsey
$174
Chiang Mai
$109 37.7% $66
Getting Around
Romsey
$115
Chiang Mai
$61 46.8% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Romsey
$89
Chiang Mai
$50 43.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Romsey 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Romsey versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Romsey
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
03:08 3:08 AM
23:08 11:08 PM
4 h behind Romsey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,400
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Romsey Chiang Mai 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Romsey
  • 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
Romsey vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Romsey or Chiang Mai?
Romsey costs about 188% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Romsey and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,042 per month in Romsey and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Romsey or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,439 in Romsey.
How do childcare costs compare in Romsey and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $2,419 per month in Romsey and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Romsey or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 65% more in Romsey, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Romsey or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,694 in Romsey and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
How safe is Romsey compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 65% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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