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: $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ar-rass versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,372 in Ar-rass versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ar-rass is roughly 35% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 13% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 SAR 24.58

$1.94 ฿63.5

237.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.10 SAR 166

$18.64 ฿609

136.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 SAR 29.52

$7.82 ฿255

0.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.62 SAR 13.57

$1.95 ฿63.8

85.64%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.84

$0.85 ฿27.77

-10.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.35 ฿11.58

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$1.71 ฿56.0

39.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.79

$1.63 ฿53.2

-38.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.14 ฿37.15

35.96%

Eggs

$3.61 SAR 13.56

$1.93 ฿63.1

87.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 SAR 25.40

$16.21 ฿530

-58.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 SAR 27.96

$3.12 ฿102

138.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 SAR 48.93

$10.90 ฿356

19.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.75 ฿90.0

-18.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.21 ฿39.52

35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.62 ฿53.0

8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$1.59 ฿51.8

-1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.40 ฿45.70

-8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$1.17 ฿38.17

11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.46

$0.66 ฿21.60

80.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.20

$0.53 ฿17.22

11.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 SAR 23.61

$4.69 ฿153

34.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.90 ฿29.26

21.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.20 SAR 147

$19.21 ฿628

104.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.78

$1.41 ฿45.91

85.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

$1.29 ฿42.12

48.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$7.84 ฿256

71.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$1.27 ฿41.58

-53.54%

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

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

27.01%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

1.72%

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

$104 SAR 390

$69.1 ฿2,256

50.60%

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

$33.90 SAR 127

$14.08 ฿460

140.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$18.00 ฿588

304.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.87 SAR 165

$41.06 ฿1,341

6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.18 SAR 132

$6.96 ฿227

405.46%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 SAR 58.3

$5.92 ฿193

162.16%

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

$349 SAR 1,310

$299 ฿9,766

16.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-53.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.12 SAR 79.3

$54.7 ฿1,787

-61.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$26.77 ฿874

129.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 SAR 298

$85.0 ฿2,776

-6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 SAR 309

$70.6 ฿2,306

16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SAR 1,669

$428 ฿14.0K

3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$237 ฿7,752

61.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,455

$801 ฿26.2K

-51.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 SAR 2,303

$515 ฿16.8K

19.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,559 SAR 9,604

$1,975 ฿64.5K

29.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 SAR 5,658

$1,475 ฿48.2K

2.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,728 SAR 6,485

$617 ฿20.2K

179.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

-11.60%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Ar-rass and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 180% 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: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $246, 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,169 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ar-rass pays 180% 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: $445 in Ar-rass versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ar-rass versus $299 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 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,169 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 35% less than in Ar-rass. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.