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: $1,995 in Arrest versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,036 in Arrest versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,077 in Arrest versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Arrest is roughly 132% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arrest is 49% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$1.96 ฿65.7

801.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 €62.3

$18.35 ฿616

288.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €12.07

$7.48 ฿251

84.63%

Cappuccino

$4.57 €3.99

$2.02 ฿67.7

126.24%

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

$3.98 €3.48

$0.85 ฿28.45

368.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.90

$0.36 ฿11.94

822.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 €7.17

$2.14 ฿71.7

283.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 €7.02

$3.59 ฿121

123.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.65 ฿55.4

-4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.57 ฿52.6

29.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.51

$1.19 ฿39.95

142.02%

Eggs

$5.00 €4.37

$1.94 ฿65.0

157.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.91 €22.64

$16.19 ฿544

60.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.08 €12.30

$2.99 ฿100

370.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.32

$10.94 ฿367

81.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 €3.10

$2.71 ฿91.0

31.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.17 ฿39.18

104.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 €3.08

$1.69 ฿56.6

108.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.39

$1.60 ฿53.9

141.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.38 ฿46.45

97.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.20 ฿40.38

159.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.66

$0.67 ฿22.46

182.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$0.56 ฿18.70

55.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 €13.13

$4.64 ฿156

223.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 €7.86

$17.62 ฿591

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.86 ฿62.4

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 €3.55

$3.30 ฿111

23.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.88 ฿29.63

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.37 €42.26

$19.34 ฿649

150.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.94

$1.36 ฿45.82

231.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.34 ฿44.90

54.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.6 €49.45

$8.21 ฿276

589.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.22 ฿41.11

77.05%

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

$35.1K €30.6K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

64.21%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

63.82%

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

$248 €217

$70.7 ฿2,372

251.29%

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

$16.95 €14.81

$14.04 ฿471

20.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.70 €31.19

$17.49 ฿587

104.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.45 €32.72

$42.15 ฿1,415

-11.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 €16.12

$6.88 ฿231

168.17%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 €13.74

$5.92 ฿199

165.54%

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

$885 €773

$309 ฿10.4K

186.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,717 €7,616

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-41.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €99.2

$55.8 ฿1,872

103.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 €41.09

$26.11 ฿877

80.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €106

$83.0 ฿2,787

46.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €137

$70.5 ฿2,365

123.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 €677

$432 ฿14.5K

79.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 €541

$239 ฿8,020

159.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 €1,233

$822 ฿27.6K

71.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 €961

$512 ฿17.2K

114.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,274

$1,915 ฿64.3K

95.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,762 €2,414

$1,467 ฿49.3K

88.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Arrest and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Arrest vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 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

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 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,993 in Arrest and $1,292 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: $775 in Arrest versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $885 in Arrest versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,995 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 132% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.