Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $878 per month in Arad vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Arad vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,893 per month in Arad vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arad costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Arad and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Arad 34% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 RON 42.09

$1.96 ฿65.9

368.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 RON 156

$18.35 ฿617

85.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 RON 31.36

$7.48 ฿252

-8.56%

Cappuccino

$2.27 RON 10.41

$2.02 ฿67.8

12.38%

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

$1.56 RON 7.18

$0.85 ฿28.52

83.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 8.04

$0.36 ฿11.97

386.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 RON 9.56

$2.14 ฿71.9

-2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 RON 12.39

$3.59 ฿121

-24.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 RON 6.89

$1.65 ฿55.5

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.60

$1.57 ฿52.7

-22.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.05

$1.19 ฿40.05

29.41%

Eggs

$2.94 RON 13.49

$1.94 ฿65.1

51.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 RON 36.10

$16.19 ฿545

-51.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 RON 19.81

$2.99 ฿101

44.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 RON 40.26

$10.94 ฿368

-19.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.53

$2.71 ฿91.2

-55.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.31

$1.17 ฿39.27

35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 RON 7.92

$1.69 ฿56.8

2.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 RON 7.77

$1.60 ฿54.0

5.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.54

$1.38 ฿46.56

-44.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 RON 3.99

$1.20 ฿40.47

-27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 RON 4.84

$0.67 ฿22.51

58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 3.97

$0.56 ฿18.74

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 RON 26.31

$4.64 ฿156

23.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.29 RON 24.26

$17.62 ฿593

-69.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.74

$1.86 ฿62.6

-44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.53

$3.30 ฿111

-50.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 RON 4.16

$0.88 ฿29.70

3.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.47 RON 108

$19.34 ฿651

21.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 RON 4.13

$1.36 ฿45.92

-33.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 3.97

$1.34 ฿45.00

-35.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 RON 42.85

$8.21 ฿276

13.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.19

$1.22 ฿41.20

28.69%

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

$28.4K RON 130.4K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

33.18%

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

$26.8K RON 122.8K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

18.81%

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

$108 RON 497

$70.7 ฿2,378

53.36%

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

$8.55 RON 39.21

$14.04 ฿472

-39.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.65 RON 35.07

$17.49 ฿589

-56.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 RON 177

$42.15 ฿1,418

-8.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 RON 106

$6.88 ฿231

235.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 RON 26.56

$5.92 ฿199

-2.20%

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

$227 RON 1,040

$309 ฿10.4K

-26.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,930 RON 31.8K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-53.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.65 RON 182

$55.8 ฿1,876

-28.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 RON 178

$26.11 ฿879

48.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 RON 370

$83.0 ฿2,793

-2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 RON 321

$70.5 ฿2,371

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 RON 1,455

$432 ฿14.5K

-26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 RON 989

$239 ฿8,040

-9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 RON 2,592

$822 ฿27.7K

-31.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 RON 2,002

$512 ฿17.2K

-14.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,456 RON 6,679

$1,915 ฿64.4K

-23.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,105 RON 5,070

$1,467 ฿49.4K

-24.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$847 RON 3,886

$579 ฿19.5K

46.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

30.00%

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

Last update for Arad: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $317 in Arad versus $432 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 46% 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 $34.00 in Arad versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Arad vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Arad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 2% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,316 per month in Arad and $1,292 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Arad and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $878 in Arad and $861 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $878 in Arad and $861 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $878 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.