Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arue and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,012 in Arue, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Arue despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,012

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arue and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arue and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Arue versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Arue $1,012
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Arue versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Arue $1,498
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,984 in Arue versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Arue $1,984
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Arue is roughly 9% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arue 25% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 CFPF 142

$1.95 ฿65.3

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 CFPF 481

$1.41 ฿47.03

221.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 CFPF 397

$1.31 ฿43.62

186.26%

Eggs

$11.43 CFPF 1,209

$2.18 ฿72.9

424.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$55.4 CFPF 5,859

$16.65 ฿556

232.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.05 CFPF 2,756

$2.76 ฿92.2

843.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.92 CFPF 2,425

$9.11 ฿304

151.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 CFPF 560

$2.39 ฿80.0

121.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CFPF 305

$1.03 ฿34.26

180.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.36 CFPF 779

$1.63 ฿54.4

351.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.54 CFPF 904

$1.50 ฿50.0

469.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 CFPF 433

$1.29 ฿43.13

217.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 CFPF 300

$1.11 ฿37.03

154.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.81 CFPF 403

$0.72 ฿24.08

429.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CFPF 145

$0.53 ฿17.59

158.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 CFPF 1,255

$4.31 ฿144

175.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$27.67 CFPF 2,927

$17.95 ฿600

54.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CFPF 289

$1.58 ฿52.9

72.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 CFPF 782

$2.84 ฿95.0

160.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$156 CFPF 16.5K

$62.3 ฿2,083

150.55%

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

$12.11 ฿405

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 CFPF 12.9K

$19.94 ฿666

511.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Arue: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arue

–

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Groceries & Markets

Arue

–

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Arue

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arue

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Eating Out

Arue

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Getting Around

Arue

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Arue

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Good to know

🇵🇫 Arue

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

17:51 5:51 PM

17 h ahead of Arue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

127,240

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arue Chiang Mai 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Arue
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Arue. 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 $1,518 in Arue and $1,388 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 212% higher in Arue. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,012 per month in Arue versus $925 in Chiang Mai – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,012 in Arue, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arue. 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 $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Arue 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 9% less than in Arue. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.