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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,713 in Arnhem versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,945 in Arnhem versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,177 in Arnhem versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Arnhem is roughly 186% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arnhem is 97% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.54 €20.23

$2.08 ฿68.6

1031.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €78.2

$19.64 ฿646

363.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €11.87

$5.65 ฿186

144.42%

Cappuccino

$4.48 €3.85

$1.81 ฿59.4

147.51%

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

$3.42 €2.94

$0.71 ฿23.45

381.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.32 ฿10.38

743.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.92

$2.24 ฿73.6

155.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.14

$3.63 ฿119

64.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.96 ฿64.4

-36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.50 ฿49.39

36.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 €2.97

$1.34 ฿43.93

157.46%

Eggs

$5.36 €4.61

$2.26 ฿74.5

137.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 €11.49

$16.26 ฿535

-17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.85 €12.76

$2.95 ฿97.1

403.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 €14.22

$9.94 ฿327

66.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.57 ฿84.6

9.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.06 ฿34.73

135.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.61 ฿53.0

16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 €4.74

$1.52 ฿49.97

262.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.27 ฿41.77

57.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.07 ฿35.06

139.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.72 ฿23.68

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.51 ฿16.72

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 €12.66

$4.19 ฿138

251.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 €6.46

$17.87 ฿587

-57.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.69 ฿55.7

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.84 ฿93.3

-1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 €3.97

$0.93 ฿30.43

396.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 €99.3

$53.9 ฿1,771

114.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.58

$1.23 ฿40.59

238.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.58 ฿18.96

308.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.82 €29.07

$2.42 ฿79.7

1297.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.41 ฿46.43

66.67%

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

$43.3K €37.2K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

101.93%

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

$40.8K €35.1K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

49.40%

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

$289 €248

$63.7 ฿2,093

353.90%

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

$23.38 €20.10

$12.85 ฿423

81.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.35 €38.99

$20.22 ฿665

124.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.15 €37.09

$38.74 ฿1,274

11.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 €10.08

$3.97 ฿130

195.21%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 €12.92

$6.74 ฿222

123.00%

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

$1,288 €1,108

$778 ฿25.6K

65.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,275 €5,395

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-57.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.2 €85.3

$54.3 ฿1,785

82.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 €26.01

$25.45 ฿837

18.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €95.9

$94.3 ฿3,102

18.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 €139

$73.4 ฿2,415

120.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,297

$490 ฿16.1K

208.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,036

$289 ฿9,512

316.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 €1,964

$894 ฿29.4K

155.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 €1,614

$517 ฿17.0K

263.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,379 €4,624

$1,955 ฿64.3K

175.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,357 €3,745

$1,477 ฿48.6K

194.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,764 €3,236

$602 ฿19.8K

525.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

5.57

-29.08%

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

Last update for Arnhem: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Arnhem and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 525% 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: $91.0 in Arnhem vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $240 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Arnhem and Chiang Mai differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($2,713 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 525% higher in Arnhem, 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: $1,509 in Arnhem versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Arnhem. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $91.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $2,713 in Arnhem, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arnhem. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arnhem 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 186% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.