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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,973 in Arrest versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,037 in Arrest versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,101 in Arrest versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Arrest is roughly 128% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arrest is 47% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €14.83

$1.94 ฿63.5

788.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 €63.4

$18.64 ฿609

295.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.04 €12.08

$7.82 ฿255

79.54%

Cappuccino

$4.69 €4.03

$1.95 ฿63.8

140.51%

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

$4.07 €3.50

$0.85 ฿27.77

378.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €2.95

$0.35 ฿11.58

880.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 €6.95

$2.13 ฿69.6

279.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 €6.91

$3.73 ฿122

115.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.71 ฿56.0

-5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.63 ฿53.2

24.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$1.14 ฿37.15

157.89%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$1.93 ฿63.1

167.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.78 €22.17

$16.21 ฿530

59.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 €11.97

$3.12 ฿102

346.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 €16.82

$10.90 ฿356

79.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.75 ฿90.0

30.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.21 ฿39.52

104.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 €2.89

$1.62 ฿53.0

107.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 €3.23

$1.59 ฿51.8

136.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.40 ฿45.70

86.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 €2.64

$1.17 ฿38.17

162.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.66 ฿21.60

174.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.53 ฿17.22

62.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.15 €13.03

$4.69 ฿153

223.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 €5.40

$18.66 ฿609

-66.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.80 ฿58.8

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.23 ฿106

23.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 €1.64

$0.90 ฿29.26

112.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.14 €41.41

$19.21 ฿628

150.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 €3.92

$1.41 ฿45.91

222.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.29 ฿42.12

59.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.8 €48.00

$7.84 ฿256

611.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.27 ฿41.58

63.78%

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

$35.4K €30.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

66.36%

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

$36.0K €31.0K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

62.29%

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

$247 €213

$69.1 ฿2,256

257.94%

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

$16.64 €14.31

$14.08 ฿460

18.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.71 €30.71

$18.00 ฿588

98.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 €32.50

$41.06 ฿1,341

-7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 €15.56

$6.96 ฿227

159.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.51 €13.34

$5.92 ฿193

161.99%

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

$874 €752

$299 ฿9,766

192.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,764 €7,539

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-41.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €99.9

$54.7 ฿1,787

112.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.71 €41.04

$26.77 ฿874

78.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €108

$85.0 ฿2,776

47.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €134

$70.6 ฿2,306

120.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 €660

$428 ฿14.0K

79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 €534

$237 ฿7,752

161.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 €1,212

$801 ฿26.2K

75.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 €916

$515 ฿16.8K

106.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,263 €3,667

$1,975 ฿64.5K

115.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,359 €2,889

$1,475 ฿48.2K

127.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

-29.00%

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

Last update for Arrest: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Arrest and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Arrest vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,960 in Arrest 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: $767 in Arrest versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $874 in Arrest 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 65% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,973 in Arrest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arrest. 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 Arrest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arrest 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 128% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.