Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ar-rass

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,162 in Ar-rass, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rass
Learn more

Ar-rass Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ar-rass

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ar-rass

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Ar-rass actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $1,162 in Ar-rass.

Chiang Mai $935
Ar-rass $1,162

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,717 in Ar-rass.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ar-rass $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $2,272 in Ar-rass.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ar-rass $2,272

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 20% less than in Ar-rass, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ar-rass 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$6.73 SAR 25.27

-68.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$37.53 SAR 141

-50.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.20 SAR 30.79

-31.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.29 SAR 12.36

-49.54%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.88 SAR 3.30

-26.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.27 SAR 1.01

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.81 SAR 6.81

11.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.38 SAR 1.43

271.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.82 SAR 6.85

-23.63%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$3.67 SAR 13.78

-35.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$6.77 SAR 25.40

144.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$7.99 SAR 29.97

-66.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$12.90 SAR 48.43

-30.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.14 SAR 8.03

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.73 SAR 6.48

-39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.64 SAR 6.17

1.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.56 SAR 5.84

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.25 SAR 4.68

-0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.33 SAR 5.01

-18.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.26 SAR 4.73

-39.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.58 SAR 2.17

-12.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$7.88 SAR 29.58

-47.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.96 SAR 3.60

-3.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$42.22 SAR 158

25.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.61 SAR 9.78

-54.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.49 SAR 5.60

-88.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$13.93 SAR 52.3

-87.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$0.61 SAR 2.27

140.98%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$25.3K SAR 95.1K

-17.06%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$21.7K SAR 81.4K

22.22%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$94.9 SAR 356

-34.08%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$24.18 SAR 90.7

-52.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$60.3 SAR 226

-66.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$43.79 SAR 164

-13.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$13.26 SAR 49.79

-50.90%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$417 SAR 1,565

74.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$11.2K SAR 42.1K

47.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$42.38 SAR 159

26.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$55.8 SAR 209

-55.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$97.9 SAR 368

-7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$74.6 SAR 280

-3.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$562 SAR 2,110

-14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$416 SAR 1,560

-25.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$383 SAR 1,439

176.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$620 SAR 2,327

6.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$1,915 SAR 7,189

26.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,353 SAR 5,078

18.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,732 SAR 6,502

-65.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.54

0.54%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ar-rass

$416 35.8% 34.1% $106

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ar-rass

$197 16.9% 16.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ar-rass

$122 10.5% 12.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ar-rass

$179 15.4% 89.9% $85

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ar-rass

$123 10.5% 60.1% $46

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ar-rass

$56 4.8% 4.3% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ar-rass

$70 6.1% 38.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $562 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $38 in Ar-rass. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $197, with Ar-rass cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Ar-rass

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

121,359

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ar-rass 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ar-rass

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,162 in Ar-rass, so Chiang Mai is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Chiang Mai. 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $562 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $417 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 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Ar-rass on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.