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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,333 in Ar-rawdah versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in Ar-rawdah versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,165 in Ar-rawdah versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ar-rawdah is roughly 43% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rawdah 3% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 KWD 3.47

$2.08 ฿69.2

442.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 KWD 19.58

$19.61 ฿652

224.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 KWD 2.78

$5.67 ฿189

59.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 KWD 1.50

Cappuccino

$5.30 KWD 1.63

$1.81 ฿60.0

192.82%

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

$0.71 KWD 0.22

$0.77 ฿25.55

-7.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

$0.35 ฿11.48

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$2.05 ฿68.1

-21.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$1.51 ฿50.4

1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KWD 0.61

$1.40 ฿46.51

42.86%

Eggs

$2.07 KWD 0.64

$2.26 ฿75.1

-8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 KWD 1.34

$16.19 ฿538

-73.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 KWD 2.10

$2.90 ฿96.3

135.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 KWD 3.21

$9.42 ฿313

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 KWD 0.75

$2.68 ฿89.1

-8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KWD 0.59

$1.09 ฿36.23

77.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 KWD 0.56

$1.62 ฿53.8

11.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 KWD 0.46

$1.46 ฿48.55

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

$1.28 ฿42.48

8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 KWD 0.45

$1.06 ฿35.17

39.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 KWD 0.73

$0.72 ฿23.85

230.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KWD 0.18

$0.53 ฿17.49

13.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 KWD 0.86

$4.23 ฿141

-33.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 KWD 0.25

$0.88 ฿29.20

-6.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 KWD 1.48

$1.17 ฿38.99

311.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

$0.58 ฿19.22

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 KWD 4.92

$2.39 ฿79.3

569.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$1.45 ฿48.22

-77.24%

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

$21.1K KWD 6,487

$21.0K ฿698.6K

0.46%

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

$20.4K KWD 6,255

$26.4K ฿878.6K

-22.97%

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

$66.2 KWD 20.33

$63.7 ฿2,116

3.96%

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

$22.53 KWD 6.92

$12.89 ฿429

74.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.99 KWD 9.21

$20.52 ฿682

46.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 KWD 31.20

$39.02 ฿1,297

160.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 KWD 3.52

$6.58 ฿219

74.32%

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

$300 KWD 92.2

$784 ฿26.1K

-61.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,436 KWD 2,900

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-35.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.81 KWD 11.62

$55.1 ฿1,833

-31.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 KWD 12.24

$24.74 ฿823

61.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 KWD 30.66

$94.1 ฿3,130

6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 KWD 27.32

$74.0 ฿2,459

20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 KWD 226

$490 ฿16.3K

50.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 KWD 167

$288 ฿9,582

88.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 KWD 567

$891 ฿29.6K

107.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 KWD 406

$521 ฿17.3K

153.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,642 KWD 505

$1,444 ฿48.0K

13.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Ar-rawdah: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Ar-rawdah and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Ar-rawdah vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $241, with Ar-rawdah 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-rawdah vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Ar-rawdah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,000 in Ar-rawdah and $1,398 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Ar-rawdah versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ar-rawdah pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,333 per month in Ar-rawdah versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ar-rawdah. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $932 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ar-rawdah 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 43% less than in Ar-rawdah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.