Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,147 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,147

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,147 in Antwerp versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Antwerp $2,147
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,321 in Antwerp versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Antwerp $3,321
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in Antwerp versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Antwerp $4,494
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Antwerp is roughly 129% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antwerp is 59% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.67 €20.17

$2.26 ฿75.4

903.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €92.6

$19.18 ฿641

442.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 €11.88

$5.59 ฿187

139.00%

Cappuccino

$4.38 €3.90

$1.72 ฿57.6

154.65%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$0.64 ฿21.54

473.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.21

$0.33 ฿11.18

993.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 €4.80

$2.36 ฿78.7

128.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.41

$3.90 ฿130

55.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.05 ฿68.6

-35.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.40 ฿46.70

97.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.28 ฿42.89

67.97%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.35

$2.25 ฿75.3

67.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €15.32

$16.94 ฿566

1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 €10.81

$2.74 ฿91.6

343.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 €20.73

$9.36 ฿313

149.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.56

$2.40 ฿80.3

19.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$1.01 ฿33.92

129.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.61 ฿53.9

61.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$1.52 ฿50.7

123.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.28 ฿42.90

84.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.11 ฿37.22

67.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$0.72 ฿24.09

111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.52 ฿17.54

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 €11.62

$4.33 ฿145

201.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 €8.07

$17.73 ฿593

-48.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.63 ฿54.4

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.85 ฿95.3

-27.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €3.00

$0.85 ฿28.31

296.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 €47.72

$53.9 ฿1,801

-0.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.98

$1.17 ฿39.18

378.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.36

$0.57 ฿19.00

364.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.90 €39.94

$2.37 ฿79.2

1794.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.45 ฿48.32

43.45%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

70.73%

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

$34.0K €30.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

28.21%

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

$204 €181

$62.3 ฿2,083

227.02%

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

$21.85 €19.43

$12.27 ฿410

78.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.38 €41.25

$19.97 ฿668

132.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 €32.96

$37.91 ฿1,267

-2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 €24.11

$3.76 ฿126

620.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.34 €13.64

$6.71 ฿224

128.61%

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

$1,612 €1,434

$797 ฿26.6K

102.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K €30.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

127.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €100

$53.3 ฿1,780

112.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 €46.83

$25.05 ฿837

110.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.5

$91.6 ฿3,062

9.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$73.5 ฿2,455

126.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €912

$464 ฿15.5K

120.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 €731

$305 ฿10.2K

169.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,427

$915 ฿30.6K

75.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 €1,207

$552 ฿18.5K

145.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,403 €3,917

$1,912 ฿63.9K

130.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,082 €2,742

$1,438 ฿48.1K

114.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,073 €2,734

$595 ฿19.9K

416.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.57

-37.88%

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

Last update for Antwerp: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$821 38.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 62.9% $517

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$363 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 34.4% $125

Eating Out

Antwerp

$342 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 76.9% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$272 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 65.2% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$195 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 43.7% $85

Getting Around

Antwerp

$86 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 28.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$68 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 24.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Antwerp and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 416% 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 Antwerp vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

19:34 7:34 PM

5 h ahead of Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Antwerp Chiang Mai 8,700 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Antwerp
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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

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

Antwerp and Chiang Mai differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($2,147 vs $938 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 416% higher in Antwerp, 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: $1,025 in Antwerp versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 0% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,612 in Antwerp versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,147 in Antwerp, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. 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, Antwerp 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 129% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.