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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Arviat versus $847 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Arviat versus $1,332 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,469 in Arviat versus $1,816 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Arviat is roughly 177% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arviat is 76% above, Chiang Mai is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.98 CA$23.96

$2.03 ฿68.4

736.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 CA$98.4

$18.71 ฿631

272.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 CA$15.45

$7.84 ฿264

39.67%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.32

$1.93 ฿65.0

95.34%

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

$1.96 CA$2.77

$0.83 ฿28.01

136.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.32

$0.35 ฿11.81

371.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.96

$2.22 ฿74.8

154.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$8.11

$3.79 ฿128

51.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$1.65 ฿55.5

28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$1.55 ฿52.3

76.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.01

$1.18 ฿39.82

200.85%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.85

$2.01 ฿67.9

71.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 CA$15.69

$16.16 ฿545

-31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.72

$3.03 ฿102

291.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 CA$20.86

$10.84 ฿365

36.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$2.68 ฿90.3

52.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.22 ฿41.16

13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.12

$1.63 ฿54.8

122.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.42

$1.53 ฿51.5

150.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$1.34 ฿45.13

87.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$1.21 ฿40.88

106.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$0.70 ฿23.65

275.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$0.53 ฿17.71

224.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 CA$19.33

$4.69 ฿158

192.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CA$16.90

$17.71 ฿597

-32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.15

$1.85 ฿62.2

58.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.44

$3.21 ฿108

-1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$0.89 ฿30.03

167.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$89.5

$18.76 ฿632

238.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.58

$1.41 ฿47.43

130.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.29 ฿43.54

16.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.86 CA$36.47

$7.79 ฿263

231.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.58

$1.29 ฿43.61

-13.18%

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

$24.8K CA$35.0K

$21.8K ฿733.8K

14.13%

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

$20.5K CA$29.0K

$21.7K ฿731.2K

-5.36%

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

$142 CA$201

$70.0 ฿2,359

103.59%

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

$43.28 CA$61.1

$14.19 ฿478

205.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CA$87.5

$17.42 ฿587

256.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.41 CA$59.8

$41.64 ฿1,404

1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.89 ฿232

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 CA$15.94

$5.78 ฿195

95.50%

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

$727 CA$1,025

$300 ฿10.1K

142.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.5K

$14.5K ฿489.5K

-19.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 CA$75.8

$55.4 ฿1,866

-2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 CA$56.2

$26.31 ฿887

51.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 CA$120

$84.8 ฿2,860

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$150

$70.5 ฿2,376

51.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 CA$1,857

$425 ฿14.3K

209.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 CA$1,670

$235 ฿7,924

403.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,883

$802 ฿27.0K

154.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 CA$2,550

$516 ฿17.4K

250.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 CA$5,516

$1,926 ฿64.9K

103.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,136 CA$4,423

$1,451 ฿48.9K

116.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

29.20%

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

Last update for Arviat: July 22, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,317 in Arviat and $425 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Arviat vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $242 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

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

Arviat and Chiang Mai differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($2,347 vs $847 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,520 in Arviat and $1,271 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: $1,317 in Arviat versus $425 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Arviat versus $300 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $847 in Chiang Mai versus $2,347 in Arviat, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arviat. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arviat 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 177% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.