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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,371 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $2,334 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $3,298 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 38% less than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Ar-rawdah is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$10.10 KWD 3.11

-79.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$81.8 KWD 25.16

-77.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$9.22 KWD 2.84

-14.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 KWD 0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 KWD 1.16

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$5.81 KWD 1.79

-65.06%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.65 KWD 0.20

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.37 KWD 0.11

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.57 KWD 0.48

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.24 KWD 0.38

26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.70 KWD 0.52

-29.41%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.01 KWD 0.62

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$5.32 KWD 1.64

205.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.48 KWD 1.99

-52.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$10.23 KWD 3.15

5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$2.43 KWD 0.75

13.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.97 KWD 0.61

-40.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.72 KWD 0.53

-0.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.50 KWD 0.46

6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$1.22 KWD 0.38

13.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$1.31 KWD 0.40

-11.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$1.68 KWD 0.52

-60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.48 KWD 0.15

8.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.93 KWD 0.90

58.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.88 KWD 0.27

3.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$44.45 KWD 13.67

-58.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$3.26 KWD 1.00

-56.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$3.20 KWD 0.98

-58.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$16.60 KWD 5.11

-51.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$0.37 KWD 0.11

232.43%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$21.6K KWD 6,630

-0.56%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$19.9K KWD 6,124

9.61%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$61.5 KWD 18.92

15.95%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$18.54 KWD 5.70

-24.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$25.77 KWD 7.93

-30.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$93.0 KWD 28.60

-56.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$46.37 KWD 14.26

-85.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$11.52 KWD 3.54

-50.35%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$400 KWD 123

-23.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$6,521 KWD 2,006

125.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$42.54 KWD 13.09

31.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$42.38 KWD 13.04

-38.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$88.4 KWD 27.18

-4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$81.1 KWD 24.93

-12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$792 KWD 244

-46.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$612 KWD 188

-60.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$1,543 KWD 475

-48.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$1,281 KWD 394

-60.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$1,625 KWD 500

-9.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

-29.97%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $792 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $82.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $179, with Ar-rawdah 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-rawdah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Ar-rawdah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,279 in Chiang Mai and $2,056 in Ar-rawdah 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: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $792 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ar-rawdah pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $82.0 in Ar-rawdah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,371 in Ar-rawdah, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ar-rawdah. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Ar-rawdah 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 61% less than in Ar-rawdah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.