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: $2,295 in Arviat versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,354 in Arviat versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,413 in Arviat versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Arviat is roughly 165% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arviat is 71% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.67 CA$23.23

$1.94 ฿63.8

759.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$99.3

$18.64 ฿611

282.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.29

$7.82 ฿256

40.28%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.13

$1.95 ฿64.1

88.72%

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

$1.97 CA$2.75

$0.85 ฿27.88

131.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.31

$0.35 ฿11.63

374.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 CA$7.55

$2.13 ฿69.9

154.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 CA$8.18

$3.73 ฿122

57.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CA$2.97

$1.71 ฿56.2

24.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.77

$1.63 ฿53.4

65.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.92

$1.14 ฿37.30

209.65%

Eggs

$3.37 CA$4.69

$1.93 ฿63.4

74.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 CA$15.41

$16.21 ฿532

-31.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.18

$3.12 ฿102

272.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.34

$10.90 ฿357

33.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.75

$2.75 ฿90.3

50.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.21 ฿39.68

13.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.17

$1.62 ฿53.2

129.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.15

$1.59 ฿52.0

132.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.32

$1.40 ฿45.89

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 CA$3.60

$1.17 ฿38.32

120.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.50

$0.66 ฿21.69

280.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.39

$0.53 ฿17.29

224.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.21

$4.69 ฿154

193.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 CA$15.50

$18.66 ฿612

-40.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.06

$1.80 ฿59.0

61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.41

$3.23 ฿106

-1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.28

$0.90 ฿29.37

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 CA$87.1

$19.21 ฿630

225.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 CA$4.33

$1.41 ฿46.10

120.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$1.99

$1.29 ฿42.29

10.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.11 CA$36.39

$7.84 ฿257

233.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.56

$1.27 ฿41.75

-11.81%

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

$24.8K CA$34.6K

$21.3K ฿697.7K

16.57%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$22.2K ฿728.3K

-7.02%

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

$144 CA$200

$69.1 ฿2,265

107.82%

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

$44.13 CA$61.5

$14.08 ฿462

213.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.3 CA$86.8

$18.00 ฿590

245.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.69 CA$59.5

$41.06 ฿1,346

3.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿228

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 CA$15.61

$5.92 ฿194

89.19%

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

$732 CA$1,021

$299 ฿9,805

144.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.4K

$15.0K ฿490.3K

-21.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.5

$54.7 ฿1,794

-0.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 CA$54.6

$26.77 ฿878

46.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 CA$122

$85.0 ฿2,787

2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$70.6 ฿2,315

49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 CA$1,849

$428 ฿14.0K

209.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 CA$1,613

$237 ฿7,782

387.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 CA$2,760

$801 ฿26.3K

147.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CA$2,526

$515 ฿16.9K

251.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,505 CA$6,279

$1,975 ฿64.7K

128.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,610 CA$5,031

$1,475 ฿48.4K

144.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Arviat and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Arviat vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $246 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 165% in total monthly costs ($2,295 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,443 in Arviat 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: $1,327 in Arviat versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $732 in Arviat versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,295 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 165% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.