Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
Learn more

Arlington, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arlington, TX 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 Arlington, TX and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in Arlington, TX versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Arlington, TX $2,439
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,647 in Arlington, TX versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Arlington, TX $3,647
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Arlington, TX versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Arlington, TX $4,855
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 160% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arlington, TX is 81% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$2.26 ฿75.4

802.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$19.18 ฿641

188.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$5.59 ฿187

80.86%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$1.72 ฿57.6

182.56%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$0.64 ฿21.54

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.33 ฿11.18

593.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.36 ฿78.7

127.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.90 ฿130

71.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.05 ฿68.6

-61.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.40 ฿46.70

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.28 ฿42.89

310.94%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$2.25 ฿75.3

18.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 $10.60

$16.94 ฿566

-37.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$2.74 ฿91.6

378.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 $18.02

$9.36 ฿313

92.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.40 ฿80.3

85.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.01 ฿33.92

163.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.61 ฿53.9

218.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.52 ฿50.7

164.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.28 ฿42.90

97.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.11 ฿37.22

168.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.72 ฿24.09

163.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.52 ฿17.54

296.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$4.33 ฿145

119.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$17.73 ฿593

-32.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.63 ฿54.4

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.85 ฿95.3

17.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$0.85 ฿28.31

616.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$53.9 ฿1,801

-24.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.17 ฿39.18

150.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.57 ฿19.00

198.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 $23.81

$2.37 ฿79.2

904.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.45 ฿48.32

-35.17%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

74.82%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-2.99%

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

$211 $211

$62.3 ฿2,083

238.44%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$12.27 ฿410

440.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$19.97 ฿668

221.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$37.91 ฿1,267

7.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$6.71 ฿224

119.67%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$797 ฿26.6K

67.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

91.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$53.3 ฿1,780

15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$25.05 ฿837

103.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$91.6 ฿3,062

-7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$73.5 ฿2,455

38.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$464 ฿15.5K

231.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$305 ฿10.2K

265.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$915 ฿30.6K

176.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$552 ฿18.5K

267.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$1,912 ฿63.9K

13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$1,438 ฿48.1K

54.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 $3,699

$595 ฿19.9K

521.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 72.6% $808

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 39.4% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, TX

$341 14%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 72.3% $247

Eating Out

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 74.6% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 18.6% $25

Getting Around

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 19.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 27% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Arlington, TX and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 521% 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: $55.0 in Arlington, TX vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

00:17 12:17 AM

12 h ahead of Arlington, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arlington, TX Chiang Mai 14,040 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, TX
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

Arlington, TX vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 160% lower than in Arlington, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 521% higher in Arlington, TX, 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: $1,536 in Arlington, TX versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,439 per month in Arlington, TX versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 33% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. 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 $938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Arlington, TX 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 160% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.