Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Ar-rass versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,226 in Ar-rass versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ar-rass is roughly 16% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 20% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 SAR 24.56

$2.08 ฿69.2

214.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.31 SAR 140

$19.64 ฿651

89.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 SAR 30.39

$5.65 ฿188

43.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Cappuccino

$3.31 SAR 12.43

$1.81 ฿59.9

82.87%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$0.71 ฿23.66

16.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.32 ฿10.48

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿74.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$1.96 ฿65.0

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SAR 1.46

$1.50 ฿49.83

-74.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$1.34 ฿44.32

40.30%

Eggs

$3.54 SAR 13.30

$2.26 ฿75.1

56.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 SAR 27.40

$16.26 ฿539

-55.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$2.95 ฿98.0

174.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 SAR 48.76

$9.94 ฿330

30.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.90

$2.57 ฿85.3

-18.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.06 ฿35.04

62.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.61 ฿53.5

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.52 ฿50.4

6.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$1.27 ฿42.14

-13.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$1.07 ฿35.37

17.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.52

$0.72 ฿23.89

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.05

$0.51 ฿16.87

5.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SAR 29.60

$4.19 ฿139

88.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿94.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.15

$0.93 ฿30.70

18.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 SAR 146

$53.9 ฿1,787

-28.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

$1.23 ฿40.95

136.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.96

$0.58 ฿19.13

218.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.96 SAR 52.4

$2.42 ฿80.4

476.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.41 ฿46.84

-58.16%

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

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

96.52%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

-22.77%

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

$99.9 SAR 375

$63.7 ฿2,112

56.86%

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

$23.70 SAR 89.0

$12.85 ฿426

84.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 SAR 226

$20.22 ฿671

197.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 SAR 165

$38.74 ฿1,285

13.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SAR 145

$3.97 ฿132

872.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$6.74 ฿223

100.00%

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

$346 SAR 1,298

$778 ฿25.8K

-55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,243 SAR 23.4K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-57.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 SAR 189

$54.3 ฿1,801

-7.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 SAR 229

$25.45 ฿844

139.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SAR 358

$94.3 ฿3,129

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 379

$73.4 ฿2,436

37.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 SAR 2,196

$490 ฿16.2K

19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,337

$289 ฿9,596

23.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,415

$894 ฿29.6K

-57.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,133

$517 ฿17.1K

9.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,639 SAR 9,909

$1,955 ฿64.9K

34.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 SAR 4,779

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-13.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 SAR 6,536

$602 ฿20.0K

189.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.57

-1.80%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $585 in Ar-rass and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 189% 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: $37.00 in Ar-rass vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $240, with Ar-rass cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ar-rass vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Chiang Mai differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,096 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 189% higher in Ar-rass, 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: $585 in Ar-rass versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Ar-rass versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ar-rass pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,096 in Ar-rass, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ar-rass. 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, Ar-rass 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 16% less than in Ar-rass. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.