Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winmalee and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,537 in Winmalee, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Winmalee
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Winmalee Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Winmalee

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,537

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,537 per month in Winmalee vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Winmalee $2,537
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,702 per month in Winmalee vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Winmalee $3,702
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,867 per month in Winmalee vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Winmalee $4,867
Chiang Mai $1,979

Winmalee costs about 171% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Winmalee 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

$21.27 A$30.22

$2.24 ฿75.7

849.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 A$127

$19.00 ฿642

368.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 A$14.92

$5.55 ฿188

89.19%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.67

$1.67 ฿56.6

138.92%

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

$3.03 A$4.31

$0.64 ฿21.56

373.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 A$3.61

$0.31 ฿10.32

719.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.47 A$12.03

$2.36 ฿79.6

258.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.69 A$13.77

$3.66 ฿124

164.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.10

$1.95 ฿65.8

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 A$4.58

$1.44 ฿48.51

123.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.73

$1.33 ฿45.07

96.99%

Eggs

$5.22 A$7.42

$2.28 ฿77.1

128.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 A$18.25

$16.45 ฿556

-21.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 A$13.77

$2.78 ฿94.0

248.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.46 A$21.97

$9.31 ฿314

66.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.54

$2.35 ฿79.5

65.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$0.97 ฿32.82

224.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 A$5.08

$1.60 ฿53.9

123.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 A$7.33

$1.50 ฿50.7

244.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.42

$1.28 ฿43.15

142.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.00

$1.10 ฿37.22

156.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 A$3.51

$0.71 ฿23.84

247.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.89

$0.49 ฿16.38

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.13 A$62.7

$4.14 ฿140

965.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 A$19.54

$17.52 ฿592

-21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.60 A$6.53

$1.61 ฿54.5

185.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 A$8.06

$2.78 ฿94.0

103.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 A$3.37

$0.87 ฿29.33

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.2 A$105

$54.1 ฿1,827

37.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 A$5.73

$1.16 ฿39.08

247.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$0.53 ฿17.82

211.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.22 A$61.4

$2.42 ฿81.8

1685.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.88

$1.45 ฿48.93

-8.97%

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

$28.2K A$40.0K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

33.68%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-2.23%

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

$181 A$257

$62.2 ฿2,100

190.43%

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

$26.56 A$37.73

$12.17 ฿411

118.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 A$80.9

$20.12 ฿680

182.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 A$74.1

$37.31 ฿1,260

39.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.21 A$23.04

$3.77 ฿127

329.97%

Cinema Ticket

$16.09 A$22.86

$6.49 ฿219

147.92%

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

$2,433 A$3,457

$736 ฿24.9K

230.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.7K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

36.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$53.4 ฿1,802

42.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.6

$24.64 ฿832

132.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$91.5 ฿3,089

16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$71.9 ฿2,429

86.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 A$1,918

$482 ฿16.3K

179.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 A$1,702

$309 ฿10.4K

287.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,223

$1,006 ฿34.0K

125.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 A$2,567

$633 ฿21.4K

185.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,571 A$9,336

$2,363 ฿79.8K

178.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,039 A$7,160

$1,589 ฿53.7K

217.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.57

6.82%

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

Last update for Winmalee: 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

Winmalee

$1.2K 47.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 74.2% $889

Groceries & Markets

Winmalee

$393 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 40.4% $159

Eating Out

Winmalee

$334 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 76.7% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winmalee

$264 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.2% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Winmalee

$168 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 35.5% $60

Getting Around

Winmalee

$96 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 36.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Winmalee

$84 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 40.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Winmalee 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 $89 in Winmalee versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Winmalee

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

03:51 3:51 AM

4 h behind Winmalee

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,057

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Winmalee Chiang Mai 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Winmalee
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

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

Winmalee costs about 171% 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 $3,805 per month in Winmalee 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 $1,350 in Winmalee.

Kindergarten costs $2,433 per month in Winmalee 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 68% more in Winmalee, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,537 in Winmalee 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.

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.