Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,976 in Arad, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Arad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,976

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arad and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arad and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,976 per month in Arad vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arad $2,976
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Arad vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arad $4,235
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,493 per month in Arad vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arad $5,493
Chiang Mai $1,914

Arad costs about 217% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Arad sits 120% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.95 ₪80.7

$2.26 ฿75.4

1048.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 ₪286

$19.18 ฿641

380.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.04 ₪62.4

$5.59 ฿187

258.50%

Cappuccino

$4.81 ₪14.97

$1.72 ฿57.6

179.65%

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

$3.98 ₪12.40

$0.64 ฿21.54

521.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₪8.31

$0.33 ฿11.18

709.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 ₪30.86

$2.36 ฿78.7

320.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 ₪31.97

$3.90 ฿130

163.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪7.99

$2.05 ฿68.6

25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$5.61 ₪17.46

$1.40 ฿46.70

300.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 ₪10.51

$1.28 ฿42.89

164.06%

Eggs

$4.48 ₪13.95

$2.25 ฿75.3

99.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ₪40.82

$16.94 ฿566

-22.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.23 ₪59.8

$2.74 ฿91.6

601.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.55 ₪82.6

$9.36 ฿313

183.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 ₪19.84

$2.40 ฿80.3

165.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 ₪9.95

$1.01 ฿33.92

216.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 ₪9.50

$1.61 ฿53.9

89.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 ₪9.87

$1.52 ฿50.7

108.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 ₪6.54

$1.28 ฿42.90

64.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.28

$1.11 ฿37.22

53.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 ₪7.51

$0.72 ฿24.09

236.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₪7.95

$0.52 ฿17.54

392.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 ₪31.00

$4.33 ฿145

130.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 ₪41.12

$17.73 ฿593

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 ₪14.58

$1.63 ฿54.4

187.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₪13.14

$2.85 ฿95.3

48.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 ₪9.29

$0.85 ฿28.31

251.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 ₪272

$53.9 ฿1,801

62.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 ₪25.65

$1.17 ฿39.18

604.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ₪3.59

$0.57 ฿19.00

101.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 ₪89.8

$2.37 ฿79.2

1117.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 ₪8.17

$1.45 ฿48.32

81.38%

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

$58.2K ₪181.2K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

184.37%

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

$58.7K ₪182.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

121.55%

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

$336 ₪1,046

$62.3 ฿2,083

439.56%

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

$12.37 ₪38.47

$12.27 ฿410

0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.51 ₪154

$19.97 ฿668

147.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 ₪264

$37.91 ฿1,267

123.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$16.53 ₪51.4

$6.71 ฿224

146.35%

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

$1,643 ₪5,112

$797 ฿26.6K

106.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ₪93.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

102.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₪319

$53.3 ฿1,780

92.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₪200

$25.05 ฿837

156.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 ₪548

$91.6 ฿3,062

92.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 ₪487

$73.5 ฿2,455

113.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 ₪5,222

$464 ฿15.5K

261.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 ₪3,683

$305 ฿10.2K

288.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 ₪7,846

$915 ฿30.6K

175.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 ₪5,053

$552 ฿18.5K

194.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₪33.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

464.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,515 ₪26.5K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

492.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,569 ₪7,992

$595 ฿19.9K

331.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.2

5.57

-6.64%

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

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arad

$1.2K 39.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 74.3% $879

Groceries & Markets

Arad

$516 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 53.9% $278

Eating Out

Arad

$422 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 81.3% $343

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arad

$398 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 76.2% $304

Clothing & Footwear

Arad

$225 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 51.3% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Arad

$118 4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 56.4% $66

Getting Around

Arad

$113 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 45.9% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,678 in Arad versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 332% higher in Arad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Arad versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Arad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

4 h ahead of Arad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,530

127,240

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arad Chiang Mai 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Arad
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Arad costs about 217% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,464 per month in Arad and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,976 in Arad and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 217%.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Arad at $2,976. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,976 in Arad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.