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: $1,905 in Aarschot versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,893 in Aarschot versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,881 in Aarschot versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Aarschot is roughly 120% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aarschot is 42% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 €15.23

$1.94 ฿63.5

812.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.2 €79.3

$18.64 ฿609

394.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €9.97

$7.82 ฿255

48.34%

Cappuccino

$4.07 €3.50

$1.95 ฿63.8

108.72%

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

$3.47 €2.98

$0.85 ฿27.77

308.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.64

$0.35 ฿11.58

777.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 €4.29

$2.13 ฿69.6

134.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.21

$3.73 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.71 ฿56.0

-19.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.63 ฿53.2

71.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.14 ฿37.15

128.95%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.55

$1.93 ฿63.1

113.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 €10.39

$16.21 ฿530

-25.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 €10.09

$3.12 ฿102

275.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.78

$10.90 ฿356

57.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.54

$2.75 ฿90.0

7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.21 ฿39.52

95.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.62 ฿53.0

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.59 ฿51.8

67.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.40 ฿45.70

58.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.17 ฿38.17

44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.66 ฿21.60

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.53 ฿17.22

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.82 €11.03

$4.69 ฿153

173.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 €5.94

$18.66 ฿609

-63.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.80 ฿58.8

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.23 ฿106

-38.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.51

$0.90 ฿29.26

223.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.1 €49.15

$19.21 ฿628

197.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 €5.09

$1.41 ฿45.91

319.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.29 ฿42.12

96.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.51 €29.69

$7.84 ฿256

340.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.27 ฿41.58

51.18%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

44.35%

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

$28.9K €24.9K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

30.27%

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

$182 €157

$69.1 ฿2,256

163.88%

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

$21.76 €18.72

$14.08 ฿460

54.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.81 €41.99

$18.00 ฿588

171.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.92 €33.48

$41.06 ฿1,341

-5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 €14.78

$6.96 ฿227

146.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 €12.62

$5.92 ฿193

147.80%

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

$660 €568

$299 ฿9,766

120.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €11.8K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-7.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$54.7 ฿1,787

90.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.98 €28.37

$26.77 ฿874

23.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €80.8

$85.0 ฿2,776

10.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €112

$70.6 ฿2,306

84.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 €783

$428 ฿14.0K

112.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 €652

$237 ฿7,752

219.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 €1,176

$801 ฿26.2K

70.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 €934

$515 ฿16.8K

110.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,244 €3,651

$1,975 ฿64.5K

114.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,675 €2,301

$1,475 ฿48.2K

81.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,262 €2,806

$617 ฿20.2K

428.35%

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 Aarschot: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Aarschot and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 428% 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: $92.0 in Aarschot vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $246 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 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Aarschot pays 428% more on average, 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: $910 in Aarschot versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% 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 $19.00 versus $92.0 in Aarschot. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,905 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 120% less than in Aarschot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.