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: $1,954 in Aarschot versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,881 in Aarschot versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,808 in Aarschot versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Aarschot is roughly 127% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aarschot is 46% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.31

$1.96 ฿65.9

792.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 €79.5

$18.35 ฿617

395.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.25

$7.48 ฿252

56.68%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.54

$2.02 ฿67.8

100.00%

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

$3.37 €2.95

$0.85 ฿28.52

296.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.72

$0.36 ฿11.97

763.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 €4.28

$2.14 ฿71.9

128.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.32

$3.59 ฿121

5.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.65 ฿55.5

-16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 €2.52

$1.57 ฿52.7

83.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.29

$1.19 ฿40.05

120.17%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.48

$1.94 ฿65.1

105.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 €10.57

$16.19 ฿545

-25.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 €10.22

$2.99 ฿101

290.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 €15.06

$10.94 ฿368

57.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.55

$2.71 ฿91.2

7.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.06

$1.17 ฿39.27

100.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.00

$1.69 ฿56.8

34.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.33

$1.60 ฿54.0

66.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.38 ฿46.56

62.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.20 ฿40.47

42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.27

$0.67 ฿22.51

116.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.56 ฿18.74

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.51 €10.94

$4.64 ฿156

169.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €5.93

$17.62 ฿593

-61.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.86 ฿62.6

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.74

$3.30 ฿111

-39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.46

$0.88 ฿29.70

220.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 €49.24

$19.34 ฿651

191.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €5.03

$1.36 ฿45.92

322.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 €2.34

$1.34 ฿45.00

99.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.67 €30.33

$8.21 ฿276

322.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.66

$1.22 ฿41.20

54.92%

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

$29.9K €26.2K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

40.08%

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

$28.3K €24.7K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

25.54%

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

$182 €160

$70.7 ฿2,378

158.02%

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

$21.88 €19.15

$14.04 ฿472

55.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.79 €42.69

$17.49 ฿589

178.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 €33.81

$42.15 ฿1,418

-8.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.65 €14.56

$6.88 ฿231

142.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 €12.41

$5.92 ฿199

139.70%

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

$660 €577

$309 ฿10.4K

113.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.7K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-9.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.8

$55.8 ฿1,876

86.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.91 €27.92

$26.11 ฿879

22.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 €82.6

$83.0 ฿2,793

13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$70.5 ฿2,371

87.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 €785

$432 ฿14.5K

107.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 €656

$239 ฿8,040

213.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 €1,178

$822 ฿27.7K

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €961

$512 ฿17.2K

114.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,788 €3,314

$1,915 ฿64.4K

97.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,263 €2,854

$1,467 ฿49.4K

122.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,195 €2,795

$579 ฿19.5K

451.45%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $897 in Aarschot and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 451% 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: $91.0 in Aarschot vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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

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 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 451% 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: $897 in Aarschot versus $432 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 $18.00 versus $91.0 in Aarschot. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,954 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 127% less than in Aarschot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.