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 $2,235 per month in Arun vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,360 per month in Arun vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,484 per month in Arun vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Arun costs about 156% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Arun sits 66% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.94 £14.03

$2.01 ฿64.5

842.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 £82.1

$18.23 ฿584

507.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £7.99

$7.65 ฿245

40.92%

Cappuccino

$2.78 £2.06

$1.92 ฿61.5

44.79%

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

$2.86 £2.12

$0.84 ฿26.97

240.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.38

$0.36 ฿11.42

416.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 £2.06

$2.19 ฿70.2

26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.54

$3.79 ฿121

-9.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.64 ฿52.5

8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.62 ฿52.0

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 £1.90

$1.15 ฿36.98

123.48%

Eggs

$4.79 £3.55

$1.94 ฿62.2

146.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.68 £3.47

$15.94 ฿511

-70.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 £6.47

$3.10 ฿99.5

181.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 £10.92

$11.07 ฿355

33.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$2.71 ฿86.8

-23.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.18 ฿37.80

21.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 £2.37

$1.71 ฿54.7

87.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.65

$1.61 ฿51.5

122.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.39 ฿44.66

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 £0.79

$1.15 ฿36.81

-6.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 £0.60

$0.71 ฿22.83

14.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 £0.83

$0.55 ฿17.65

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.39 £13.63

$4.57 ฿146

302.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 £10.46

$18.87 ฿605

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.82 ฿58.4

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 £2.97

$3.21 ฿103

24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 £3.30

$0.88 ฿28.24

405.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 £65.8

$18.89 ฿606

370.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 £4.14

$1.41 ฿45.30

296.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.30 ฿41.71

33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.10 £30.46

$8.20 ฿263

401.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.23 ฿39.29

52.85%

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

$38.2K £28.3K

$21.2K ฿678.9K

80.40%

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

$39.6K £29.4K

$22.3K ฿715.3K

77.58%

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

$325 £241

$69.9 ฿2,240

365.19%

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

$20.22 £14.98

$14.07 ฿451

43.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.71 £31.65

$17.70 ฿567

141.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.36

$41.41 ฿1,328

31.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 £4.64

$5.74 ฿184

9.06%

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

$2,513 £1,862

$299 ฿9,593

739.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K £21.2K

$15.0K ฿481.2K

90.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.38 £25.48

$54.8 ฿1,758

-37.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 £29.22

$26.35 ฿845

49.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £94.7

$84.7 ฿2,714

51.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 £50.8

$69.7 ฿2,236

-1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 £891

$427 ฿13.7K

181.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 £757

$241 ฿7,718

324.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 £1,499

$811 ฿26.0K

149.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 £1,243

$498 ฿16.0K

236.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,482 £2,580

$639 ฿20.5K

444.71%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,202 in Arun versus $427 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 445% 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 $111 in Arun versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 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 156% 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 $3,353 per month in Arun and $1,308 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 $111 in Arun and $18.00 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 $2,235 in Arun and $872 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 $872, than in Arun at $2,235. 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 $872 versus $2,235 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.