Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,169 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,770 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $2,372 in Ar-rass.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 26% less than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Ar-rass 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$6.55 SAR 24.58

-70.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$44.10 SAR 166

-57.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$7.87 SAR 29.52

-0.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$3.62 SAR 13.57

-46.13%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.76 SAR 2.84

11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.29 SAR 1.08

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-28.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.01 SAR 3.79

61.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.55 SAR 5.82

-26.45%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$3.61 SAR 13.56

-46.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$6.77 SAR 25.40

139.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$7.45 SAR 27.96

-58.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$13.04 SAR 48.93

-16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$2.23 SAR 8.38

23.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-26.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-7.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.56 SAR 5.87

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$1.28 SAR 4.81

9.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$1.31 SAR 4.92

-10.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$1.19 SAR 4.46

-44.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.59 SAR 2.20

-10.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$6.29 SAR 23.61

-25.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$1.09 SAR 4.08

-17.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$39.20 SAR 147

-50.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$2.61 SAR 9.78

-45.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$1.92 SAR 7.22

-32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-41.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$0.59 SAR 2.21

115.25%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

-21.27%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

-1.69%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$104 SAR 390

-33.60%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$33.90 SAR 127

-58.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$72.7 SAR 273

-75.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$43.87 SAR 165

-6.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$35.18 SAR 132

-80.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$15.52 SAR 58.3

-61.86%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$349 SAR 1,310

-14.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

116.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$21.12 SAR 79.3

159.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$61.3 SAR 230

-56.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$79.5 SAR 298

6.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$82.4 SAR 309

-14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$445 SAR 1,669

-3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$382 SAR 1,434

-37.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$388 SAR 1,455

106.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$614 SAR 2,303

-16.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$2,559 SAR 9,604

-22.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,508 SAR 5,658

-2.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$1,728 SAR 6,485

-64.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

13.12%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $445 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 180% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $44.00 in Ar-rass. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $205, with Ar-rass cheaper for home cooking.

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

Chiang Mai vs Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Ar-rass differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $1,169 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 180% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $445 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ar-rass pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,169 in Ar-rass, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ar-rass. 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, Chiang Mai and Ar-rass 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 35% less than in Ar-rass. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.