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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Arun vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,345 per month in Arun vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,425 per month in Arun vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arun costs about 161% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Arun sits 69% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.12 £14.24

$1.94 ฿63.5

885.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £81.6

$18.64 ฿609

487.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £8.05

$7.82 ฿255

38.11%

Cappuccino

$2.66 £1.98

$1.95 ฿63.8

36.41%

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

$2.87 £2.14

$0.85 ฿27.77

237.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$0.35 ฿11.58

428.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 £2.07

$2.13 ฿69.6

30.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 £2.49

$3.73 ฿122

-10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.71 ฿56.0

3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.63 ฿53.2

29.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$1.14 ฿37.15

116.67%

Eggs

$5.02 £3.74

$1.93 ฿63.1

160.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 £3.50

$16.21 ฿530

-71.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 £6.59

$3.12 ฿102

183.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 £10.89

$10.90 ฿356

34.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$2.75 ฿90.0

-26.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.21 ฿39.52

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$1.62 ฿53.0

98.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 £2.58

$1.59 ฿51.8

117.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.40 ฿45.70

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 £0.82

$1.17 ฿38.17

-5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 £0.58

$0.66 ฿21.60

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 £0.80

$0.53 ฿17.22

101.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.25 £13.60

$4.69 ฿153

289.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 £9.87

$18.66 ฿609

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.80 ฿58.8

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 £2.91

$3.23 ฿106

20.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 £3.27

$0.90 ฿29.26

387.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 £65.4

$19.21 ฿628

357.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 £4.00

$1.41 ฿45.91

280.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.29 ฿42.12

36.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 £30.70

$7.84 ฿256

425.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.27 ฿41.58

47.24%

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

$39.1K £29.2K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

83.99%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

77.25%

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

$321 £239

$69.1 ฿2,256

364.92%

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

$19.59 £14.60

$14.08 ฿460

39.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.11 £32.11

$18.00 ฿588

139.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 £40.23

$41.06 ฿1,341

31.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 £4.46

$5.92 ฿193

1.18%

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

$2,519 £1,877

$299 ฿9,766

742.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K £20.8K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

86.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.99 £25.32

$54.7 ฿1,787

-37.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.26 £28.51

$26.77 ฿874

42.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 £94.5

$85.0 ฿2,776

49.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 £50.6

$70.6 ฿2,306

-3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 £869

$428 ฿14.0K

172.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 £756

$237 ฿7,752

327.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 £1,489

$801 ฿26.2K

149.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 £1,251

$515 ฿16.8K

225.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,509 £3,359

$1,975 ฿64.5K

128.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,540 £2,637

$617 ฿20.2K

473.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

1.00%

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

Last update for Arun: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,166 in Arun versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 473% higher in Arun, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Arun versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Arun costs about 161% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,397 per month in Arun and $1,300 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Arun and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,265 in Arun and $866 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Arun at $2,265. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arun it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $2,265 in Arun. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.