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: $2,259 in Arnhem versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arnhem versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,523 in Arnhem versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Arnhem is roughly 162% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arnhem is 69% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €16.13

$1.96 ฿65.8

839.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 €62.2

$18.35 ฿617

286.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.30 €11.65

$7.48 ฿252

77.81%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.72

$2.02 ฿67.8

109.90%

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

$3.18 €2.78

$0.85 ฿28.50

274.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.19

$0.36 ฿11.96

594.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 €5.59

$2.14 ฿71.8

198.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.58

$3.59 ฿121

45.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.65 ฿55.5

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.57 ฿52.7

52.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.85

$1.19 ฿40.02

173.95%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.30

$1.94 ฿65.1

153.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €11.99

$16.19 ฿544

-15.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 €14.61

$2.99 ฿101

457.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 €14.73

$10.94 ฿368

53.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.71 ฿91.2

-12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.17 ฿39.25

123.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.66

$1.69 ฿56.7

11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.62

$1.60 ฿54.0

158.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.38 ฿46.54

52.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.20 ฿40.45

80.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$0.67 ฿22.50

91.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.63

$0.56 ฿18.73

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 €12.51

$4.64 ฿156

207.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 €6.09

$17.62 ฿593

-60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.86 ฿62.5

-25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.30 ฿111

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 €3.77

$0.88 ฿29.68

389.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 €99.5

$19.34 ฿650

487.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.46

$1.36 ฿45.90

190.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.31

$1.34 ฿44.98

97.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 €24.05

$8.21 ฿276

234.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.22 ฿41.18

81.97%

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

$37.4K €32.8K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

75.14%

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

$38.7K €33.9K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

71.78%

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

$264 €231

$70.7 ฿2,376

273.52%

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

$30.28 €26.52

$14.04 ฿472

115.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €47.20

$17.49 ฿588

208.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.52 €37.24

$42.15 ฿1,417

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 €6.69

$6.88 ฿231

10.90%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 €13.30

$5.92 ฿199

156.59%

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

$1,842 €1,613

$309 ฿10.4K

497.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,253 €5,477

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-57.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €81.6

$55.8 ฿1,875

67.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.32 €15.17

$26.11 ฿878

-33.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 €75.1

$83.0 ฿2,792

3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 €80.2

$70.5 ฿2,369

29.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,014

$432 ฿14.5K

168.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 €769

$239 ฿8,035

267.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 €1,807

$822 ฿27.7K

150.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,432

$512 ฿17.2K

219.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,406 €4,735

$1,915 ฿64.4K

182.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,261 €3,732

$1,467 ฿49.3K

190.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,726 €3,263

$579 ฿19.5K

543.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

-35.00%

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

Last update for Arnhem: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,158 in Arnhem and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 543% 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: $71.0 in Arnhem vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $243 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 162% in total monthly costs ($2,259 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 543% 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: $1,158 in Arnhem versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% 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 $18.00 versus $71.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,259 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 162% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.