Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,231 in Aalst versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,202 in Aalst versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,172 in Aalst versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Aalst is roughly 159% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aalst is 67% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.32 €20.40

$1.96 ฿65.9

1089.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €90.6

$18.35 ฿617

464.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 €10.97

$7.48 ฿252

67.51%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.53

$2.02 ฿67.8

99.50%

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

$3.33 €2.91

$0.85 ฿28.52

291.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.65

$0.36 ฿11.97

741.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €4.91

$2.14 ฿71.9

162.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 €4.10

$3.59 ฿121

30.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.65 ฿55.5

-17.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.42

$1.57 ฿52.7

75.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.38

$1.19 ฿40.05

128.57%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.52

$1.94 ฿65.1

107.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.83 €14.73

$16.19 ฿545

3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 €10.19

$2.99 ฿101

289.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 €16.23

$10.94 ฿368

69.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.64

$2.71 ฿91.2

11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.17 ฿39.27

102.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.69 ฿56.8

34.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 €3.03

$1.60 ฿54.0

116.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$1.38 ฿46.56

92.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 €2.11

$1.20 ฿40.47

100.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.67 ฿22.51

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.56 ฿18.74

44.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.54 €10.97

$4.64 ฿156

170.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 €8.00

$17.62 ฿593

-48.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.86 ฿62.6

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.76

$3.30 ฿111

-38.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.58

$0.88 ฿29.70

235.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 €50.5

$19.34 ฿651

198.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €5.00

$1.36 ฿45.92

319.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.07

$1.34 ฿45.00

76.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.64 €30.31

$8.21 ฿276

321.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.22 ฿41.20

52.46%

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

$35.3K €30.9K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

65.30%

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

$33.4K €29.2K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

48.11%

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

$203 €177

$70.7 ฿2,378

187.01%

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

$21.87 €19.13

$14.04 ฿472

55.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €50.4

$17.49 ฿589

229.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 €34.21

$42.15 ฿1,418

-7.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.00 €14.87

$6.88 ฿231

147.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 €13.12

$5.92 ฿199

153.38%

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

$610 €533

$309 ฿10.4K

97.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.7K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-10.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €94.1

$55.8 ฿1,876

92.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.48 €42.41

$26.11 ฿879

85.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$83.0 ฿2,793

39.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 €138

$70.5 ฿2,371

123.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 €849

$432 ฿14.5K

124.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 €784

$239 ฿8,040

275.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,207

$822 ฿27.7K

67.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 €963

$512 ฿17.2K

115.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,182 €2,784

$1,915 ฿64.4K

66.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,984 €2,611

$1,467 ฿49.4K

103.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,739 €2,396

$579 ฿19.5K

372.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

-34.60%

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

Last update for Aalst: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $971 in Aalst and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 373% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $104 in Aalst vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $243 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Aalst and Chiang Mai differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,231 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 373% higher in Aalst, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $971 in Aalst versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $104 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,231 per month in Aalst versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 159% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,231 in Aalst, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Aalst. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aalst and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.