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 $884 per month in Arad vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,394 per month in Arad vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,904 per month in Arad vs $1,835 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 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.32 RON 42.13

$1.94 ฿63.5

380.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.02 RON 158

$18.64 ฿609

87.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 RON 31.82

$7.82 ฿255

-9.97%

Cappuccino

$2.30 RON 10.41

$1.95 ฿63.8

17.95%

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

$1.64 RON 7.39

$0.85 ฿27.77

92.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.03

$0.35 ฿11.58

408.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 RON 9.21

$2.13 ฿69.6

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 RON 12.54

$3.73 ฿122

-25.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.86

$1.71 ฿56.0

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 RON 5.69

$1.63 ฿53.2

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.87

$1.14 ฿37.15

33.33%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 13.22

$1.93 ฿63.1

51.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 RON 36.64

$16.21 ฿530

-49.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 RON 19.36

$3.12 ฿102

37.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 RON 39.08

$10.90 ฿356

-20.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.33

$2.75 ฿90.0

-57.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.86

$1.21 ฿39.52

25.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.46

$1.62 ฿53.0

1.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.50

$1.59 ฿51.8

4.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.62

$1.40 ฿45.70

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.13

$1.17 ฿38.17

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 RON 4.60

$0.66 ฿21.60

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.18

$0.53 ฿17.22

73.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 26.38

$4.69 ฿153

24.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 RON 28.14

$18.66 ฿609

-66.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$1.80 ฿58.8

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RON 7.19

$3.23 ฿106

-50.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$0.90 ฿29.26

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.51 RON 106

$19.21 ฿628

22.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 RON 3.86

$1.41 ฿45.91

-39.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 3.92

$1.29 ฿42.12

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.98 RON 40.57

$7.84 ฿256

14.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.07

$1.27 ฿41.58

23.62%

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

$28.1K RON 127.0K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

32.06%

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

$26.6K RON 120.3K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

19.82%

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

$111 RON 504

$69.1 ฿2,256

61.34%

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

$8.40 RON 37.98

$14.08 ฿460

-40.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.84 RON 35.46

$18.00 ฿588

-56.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 RON 175

$41.06 ฿1,341

-5.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.06 RON 104

$6.96 ฿227

231.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 RON 25.62

$5.92 ฿193

-4.22%

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

$228 RON 1,032

$299 ฿9,766

-23.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,887 RON 31.1K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-53.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.72 RON 184

$54.7 ฿1,787

-25.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.66 RON 175

$26.77 ฿874

44.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 RON 361

$85.0 ฿2,776

-6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 RON 314

$70.6 ฿2,306

-1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 RON 1,445

$428 ฿14.0K

-25.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 RON 1,000

$237 ฿7,752

-6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 RON 2,550

$801 ฿26.2K

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 RON 1,938

$515 ฿16.8K

-16.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,484 RON 6,706

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-24.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,097 RON 4,958

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-25.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$882 RON 3,986

$617 ฿20.2K

42.81%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Arad versus $428 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 43% 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 $35.00 in Arad versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Arad vs $246 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 $1,326 per month in Arad and $1,300 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 $35.00 in Arad and $19.00 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 $884 in Arad and $866 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 $884 in Arad and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $884 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.