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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,171 in Antwerp versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Antwerp versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Antwerp versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 152% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antwerp is 62% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.50 €20.54

$1.96 ฿65.7

1098.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 €107

$18.35 ฿616

564.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.55 €10.97

$7.48 ฿251

67.78%

Cappuccino

$4.13 €3.61

$2.02 ฿67.7

104.46%

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

$3.34 €2.92

$0.85 ฿28.45

292.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.67

$0.36 ฿11.94

750.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €4.96

$2.14 ฿71.7

165.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.98

$3.59 ฿121

27.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.65 ฿55.4

-17.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 €2.52

$1.57 ฿52.6

83.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 €2.39

$1.19 ฿39.95

130.25%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.48

$1.94 ฿65.0

105.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.73 €15.49

$16.19 ฿544

9.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 €10.19

$2.99 ฿100

290.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.44 €19.61

$10.94 ฿367

105.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.53

$2.71 ฿91.0

6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.13

$1.17 ฿39.18

108.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.00

$1.69 ฿56.6

34.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 €2.92

$1.60 ฿53.9

108.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 €2.48

$1.38 ฿46.45

105.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 €2.11

$1.20 ฿40.38

101.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.67 ฿22.46

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.56 ฿18.70

44.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.83 €11.21

$4.64 ฿156

176.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 €8.01

$17.62 ฿591

-47.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.86 ฿62.4

-5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.30 ฿111

-39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.57

$0.88 ฿29.63

234.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.18 €40.35

$19.34 ฿649

138.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.19

$1.36 ฿45.82

336.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.34 ฿44.90

90.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.00 €40.19

$8.21 ฿276

460.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.22 ฿41.11

50.00%

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

$36.2K €31.6K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

69.33%

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

$33.4K €29.2K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

48.43%

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

$201 €176

$70.7 ฿2,372

184.93%

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

$24.97 €21.81

$14.04 ฿471

77.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 €44.97

$17.49 ฿587

194.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €38.92

$42.15 ฿1,415

5.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.39 €22.19

$6.88 ฿231

269.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 €13.13

$5.92 ฿199

153.89%

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

$653 €570

$309 ฿10.4K

111.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K €12.0K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-7.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €96.4

$55.8 ฿1,872

97.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.85 €42.68

$26.11 ฿877

87.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €103

$83.0 ฿2,787

41.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$231 €202

$70.5 ฿2,365

227.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 €903

$432 ฿14.5K

139.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$850 €743

$239 ฿8,020

255.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 €1,375

$822 ฿27.6K

91.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 €1,143

$512 ฿17.2K

155.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,414 €3,856

$1,915 ฿64.3K

130.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,075 €2,686

$1,467 ฿49.3K

109.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,937 €2,566

$579 ฿19.4K

407.00%

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 Antwerp: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,034 in Antwerp and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 407% 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: $122 in Antwerp vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 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

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

Antwerp and Chiang Mai differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($2,171 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 407% 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: $1,034 in Antwerp versus $432 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 139% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $653 in Antwerp versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,171 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 152% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.