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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,176 in Artem versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,775 in Artem versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,375 in Artem versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Artem is roughly 36% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Artem 12% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 ₽1,093

$1.94 ฿63.5

671.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.40 ₽2,803

$18.64 ฿609

106.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 ₽432

$7.82 ฿255

-24.42%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₽219

$1.95 ฿63.8

53.85%

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

$1.05 ₽76.3

$0.85 ฿27.77

23.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₽49.77

$0.35 ฿11.58

94.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ₽90.3

$2.13 ฿69.6

-41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₽234

$3.73 ฿122

-14.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₽114

$1.71 ฿56.0

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₽53.0

$1.63 ฿53.2

-55.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 ₽133

$1.14 ฿37.15

59.65%

Eggs

$2.73 ₽199

$1.93 ฿63.1

41.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ₽834

$16.21 ฿530

-29.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 ₽443

$3.12 ฿102

94.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.60 ₽774

$10.90 ฿356

-2.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 ₽183

$2.75 ฿90.0

-8.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ₽166

$1.21 ฿39.52

87.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 ₽194

$1.62 ฿53.0

64.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 ₽221

$1.59 ฿51.8

89.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽63.7

$1.40 ฿45.70

-37.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ₽61.2

$1.17 ฿38.17

-28.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 ₽122

$0.66 ฿21.60

153.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₽86.1

$0.53 ฿17.22

122.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ₽220

$4.69 ฿153

-35.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.91 ₽650

$18.66 ฿609

-52.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₽84.1

$1.80 ฿58.8

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₽235

$3.23 ฿106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽38.87

$0.90 ฿29.26

-41.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₽136

$1.41 ฿45.91

31.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽12.37

$1.29 ฿42.12

-86.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ₽485

$7.84 ฿256

-15.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₽52.8

$1.27 ฿41.58

-43.31%

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

$31.9K ₽2.3M

$21.3K ฿694.9K

49.94%

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

$38.1K ₽2.8M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

71.59%

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

$176 ₽12.8K

$69.1 ฿2,256

154.74%

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

$5.74 ₽419

$14.08 ฿460

-59.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.51 ₽621

$18.00 ฿588

-52.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.24 ₽2,645

$41.06 ฿1,341

-11.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ₽419

$5.92 ฿193

-3.04%

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

$475 ₽34.7K

$299 ฿9,766

58.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,897 ₽503.4K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-53.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 ₽8,719

$54.7 ฿1,787

118.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 ₽4,319

$26.77 ฿874

121.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 ₽5,964

$85.0 ฿2,776

-3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 ₽10.9K

$70.6 ฿2,306

111.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₽32.8K

$428 ฿14.0K

4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 ₽22.1K

$237 ฿7,752

27.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₽55.5K

$801 ฿26.2K

-5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ₽37.5K

$515 ฿16.8K

-0.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,646 ₽193.1K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

34.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,615 ₽117.8K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

9.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

320.00%

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

Last update for Artem: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Artem and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Artem vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $246, with Artem cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Artem. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,764 in Artem 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: $449 in Artem versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $475 in Artem versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $38.00 in Artem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,176 in Artem, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Artem. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Artem 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 36% less than in Artem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.