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: $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Ar-rass versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,431 in Ar-rass versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ar-rass is roughly 36% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 12% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 SAR 24.71

$1.96 ฿65.9

235.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 SAR 165

$18.35 ฿617

139.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 SAR 29.79

$7.48 ฿252

6.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$3.69 SAR 13.87

$2.02 ฿67.8

82.67%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.97

$0.85 ฿28.52

-7.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.36 ฿11.97

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 SAR 8.77

$1.65 ฿55.5

41.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.57 ฿52.7

-32.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.69

$1.19 ฿40.05

26.89%

Eggs

$3.62 SAR 13.58

$1.94 ฿65.1

86.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.62

$16.19 ฿545

-57.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 SAR 27.79

$2.99 ฿101

147.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 SAR 49.34

$10.94 ฿368

20.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.19

$2.71 ฿91.2

-19.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.17 ฿39.27

40.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.69 ฿56.8

1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.60 ฿54.0

-2.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.38 ฿46.56

-10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.20 ฿40.47

5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$0.67 ฿22.51

85.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.56 ฿18.74

-1.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 SAR 23.40

$4.64 ฿156

34.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$0.88 ฿29.70

20.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.89 SAR 150

$19.34 ฿651

106.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.94

$1.36 ฿45.92

94.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.98

$1.34 ฿45.00

38.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$8.21 ฿276

60.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.22 ฿41.20

-52.46%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.3K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

23.86%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

-1.42%

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

$107 SAR 403

$70.7 ฿2,378

52.02%

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

$33.12 SAR 124

$14.04 ฿472

135.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 SAR 273

$17.49 ฿589

316.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 SAR 169

$42.15 ฿1,418

7.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.22 SAR 132

$6.88 ฿231

411.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 SAR 59.5

$5.92 ฿199

167.40%

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

$355 SAR 1,334

$309 ฿10.4K

15.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,847 SAR 25.7K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-53.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.29 SAR 79.9

$55.8 ฿1,876

-61.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 SAR 225

$26.11 ฿879

129.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 SAR 297

$83.0 ฿2,793

-4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 SAR 312

$70.5 ฿2,371

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,641

$432 ฿14.5K

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,450

$239 ฿8,040

61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,442

$822 ฿27.7K

-53.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,309

$512 ฿17.2K

20.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 SAR 9,580

$1,915 ฿64.4K

33.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,264 SAR 4,747

$1,467 ฿49.4K

-13.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,700 SAR 6,383

$579 ฿19.5K

193.39%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Ar-rass and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 193% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $243, 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,174 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 193% 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: $437 in Ar-rass versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Ar-rass versus $309 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 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,174 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 36% less than in Ar-rass. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.