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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,023 in Aarschot versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,948 in Aarschot versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,873 in Aarschot versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Aarschot is roughly 113% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aarschot is 47% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.85 €16.22

$2.08 ฿68.5

806.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 €70.5

$19.64 ฿646

317.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.94

$5.65 ฿186

104.42%

Cappuccino

$3.74 €3.22

$1.81 ฿59.3

106.63%

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

$3.28 €2.82

$0.71 ฿23.44

361.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.32 ฿10.38

743.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.72

$2.24 ฿73.5

145.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.11

$3.63 ฿119

31.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.96 ฿64.4

-36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.50 ฿49.38

96.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.34 ฿43.92

74.63%

Eggs

$3.82 €3.29

$2.26 ฿74.4

69.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 €10.27

$16.26 ฿534

-26.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.09 €10.41

$2.95 ฿97.1

309.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.63

$9.94 ฿327

59.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.57 ฿84.5

9.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.06 ฿34.72

116.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.61 ฿53.0

41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.52 ฿49.96

56.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.27 ฿41.76

87.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.07 ฿35.05

70.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.72 ฿23.67

109.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.80

$0.51 ฿16.72

84.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 €8.92

$4.19 ฿138

147.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.11 €6.12

$17.87 ฿587

-60.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.69 ฿55.7

27.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.84 ฿93.2

-34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.93 ฿30.42

249.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 €49.67

$53.9 ฿1,770

7.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 €4.38

$1.23 ฿40.58

313.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 €2.21

$0.58 ฿18.96

343.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.46 €15.02

$2.42 ฿79.7

621.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.41 ฿46.42

35.46%

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

$36.1K €31.1K

$21.4K ฿704.9K

68.44%

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

$35.1K €30.2K

$27.3K ฿898.5K

28.42%

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

$216 €186

$63.7 ฿2,093

238.92%

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

$18.67 €16.06

$12.85 ฿423

45.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 €48.23

$20.22 ฿665

177.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 €32.02

$38.74 ฿1,274

-3.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.61 €19.45

$3.97 ฿130

469.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 €13.00

$6.74 ฿221

124.04%

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

$726 €625

$778 ฿25.6K

-6.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$14.6K ฿480.2K

17.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 €73.2

$54.3 ฿1,785

56.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.01 €23.24

$25.45 ฿836

6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 €79.7

$94.3 ฿3,101

-1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €132

$73.4 ฿2,414

108.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 €851

$490 ฿16.1K

101.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 €729

$289 ฿9,510

192.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 €1,255

$894 ฿29.4K

63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 €1,042

$517 ฿17.0K

134.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,715

$1,955 ฿64.3K

120.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,719 €2,340

$1,477 ฿48.5K

84.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,235 €2,784

$602 ฿19.8K

437.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

5.57

-36.80%

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

Last update for Aarschot: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $989 in Aarschot and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 437% 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: $82.0 in Aarschot vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $240 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 437% higher in Aarschot, 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: $989 in Aarschot versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Aarschot. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $82.0 in Aarschot. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $2,023 in Aarschot, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Aarschot. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aarschot, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Aarschot 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 113% less than in Aarschot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.