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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,737 in Arona versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,649 in Arona versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,560 in Arona versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Arona is roughly 100% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arona is 30% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 €16.29

$1.94 ฿63.5

875.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €80.4

$18.64 ฿609

401.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €7.92

$7.82 ฿255

17.65%

Cappuccino

$1.91 €1.65

$1.95 ฿63.8

-2.05%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$0.85 ฿27.77

264.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$0.35 ฿11.58

222.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 €3.67

$2.13 ฿69.6

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.75

$3.73 ฿122

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.71 ฿56.0

15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.63 ฿53.2

52.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$1.14 ฿37.15

200.00%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.93 ฿63.1

63.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.72 €13.53

$16.21 ฿530

-3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 €11.44

$3.12 ฿102

325.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 €11.88

$10.90 ฿356

26.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.75 ฿90.0

-0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.21 ฿39.52

41.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.66

$1.62 ฿53.0

90.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$1.59 ฿51.8

79.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.40 ฿45.70

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.17 ฿38.17

47.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.66 ฿21.60

104.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.53 ฿17.22

13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.83

$4.69 ฿153

44.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$18.66 ฿609

-69.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.80 ฿58.8

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.23 ฿106

-16.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.90 ฿29.26

95.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.98 €37.86

$19.21 ฿628

128.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 €4.93

$1.41 ฿45.91

305.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.29 ฿42.12

60.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.0 €49.08

$7.84 ฿256

627.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.27 ฿41.58

57.48%

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

$27.6K €23.8K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

29.94%

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

$32.9K €28.3K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

48.06%

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

$210 €181

$69.1 ฿2,256

204.47%

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

$15.58 €13.41

$14.08 ฿460

10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.73 €25.59

$18.00 ฿588

65.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.79

$41.06 ฿1,341

35.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 €19.66

$6.96 ฿227

228.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.54 €9.93

$5.92 ฿193

94.93%

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

$559 €481

$299 ฿9,766

87.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,178 €7,902

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-38.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$54.7 ฿1,787

67.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.15 €32.85

$26.77 ฿874

42.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.1

$85.0 ฿2,776

27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$70.6 ฿2,306

93.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 €636

$428 ฿14.0K

72.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 €500

$237 ฿7,752

144.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,044

$801 ฿26.2K

51.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €812

$515 ฿16.8K

82.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,130 €2,695

$1,975 ฿64.5K

58.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,080 €1,791

$1,475 ฿48.2K

41.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

-6.40%

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

Last update for Arona: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Arona and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $93.0 in Arona vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $246 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,606 in Arona and $1,300 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Arona versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in Arona versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Arona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,737 in Arona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arona. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arona 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 100% less than in Arona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.