Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ar-rustaq

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Ar-rustaq: $936 and $953 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rustaq
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Ar-rustaq Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ar-rustaq

🇴🇲 Oman

$953

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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-rustaq actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $953 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ar-rustaq $953

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,432 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ar-rustaq $1,432

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,910 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ar-rustaq $1,910

Chiang Mai is about 2% cheaper than Ar-rustaq, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Ar-rustaq are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ar-rustaq 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.33 OMR 2.05

-57.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$39.16 OMR 15.08

-51.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.82 OMR 3.01

-29.03%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$5.21 OMR 2.01

-67.95%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.84 OMR 0.32

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.27 OMR 0.10

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$12.78 OMR 4.92

-81.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$13.19 OMR 5.08

-72.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.39 OMR 0.92

-18.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.20 OMR 0.46

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.95 OMR 0.75

-31.79%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.08 OMR 1.19

-25.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.11 OMR 2.74

131.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.96 OMR 2.68

-60.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.14 OMR 3.90

-8.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.51 OMR 1.35

-33.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.03 OMR 0.78

-52.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.40 OMR 0.92

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.28 OMR 0.49

17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.17 OMR 0.45

9.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.22 OMR 0.47

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.86 OMR 0.72

-61.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.68 OMR 0.26

-27.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.65 OMR 2.56

-37.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$15.55 OMR 5.99

12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$5.85 OMR 2.25

-72.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$10.05 OMR 3.87

-72.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.24 OMR 1.25

-64.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.57 OMR 0.99

-79.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.03 OMR 3.09

-69.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.59 OMR 0.23

145.76%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$25.4K OMR 9,784

-17.13%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$20.9K OMR 8,060

28.69%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$177 OMR 68.3

-64.94%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$30.29 OMR 11.66

-59.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$71.6 OMR 27.58

-71.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.25 OMR 3.95

-36.68%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$508 OMR 196

44.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.5K OMR 4,030

41.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$55.9 OMR 21.53

-4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$43.75 OMR 16.84

-43.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$88.6 OMR 34.12

3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$86.4 OMR 33.26

-16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$4,358 OMR 1,678

-86.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ar-rustaq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ar-rustaq

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ar-rustaq

$290 30.5% 23.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ar-rustaq

$124 13% 13.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ar-rustaq

$279 29.3% 196% $185

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ar-rustaq

$223 23.4% 188% $146

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ar-rustaq

$16 * 1.7% 73.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ar-rustaq

$21 * 2.2% 59.2% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Ar-rustaq are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $39 in Ar-rustaq. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $290 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇴🇲 Ar-rustaq

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

21:59 9:59 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

120,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.429 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ar-rustaq 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ar-rustaq

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-rustaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ar-rustaq is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,430 in Ar-rustaq. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $953 in Ar-rustaq. That’s a gap of about 2%.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $508 in Ar-rustaq. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $953 in Ar-rustaq. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $953 in Ar-rustaq. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ar-rustaq makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.