Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arad Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arad

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $878 in Arad, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,385 in Arad, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,893 in Arad, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 2% cheaper than Arad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Arad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Arad 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$9.18 RON 42.13

-78.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$33.99 RON 156

-46.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$6.84 RON 31.39

9.36%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.27 RON 10.42

-11.01%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$1.56 RON 7.18

-45.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$1.75 RON 8.05

-79.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$2.09 RON 9.57

2.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.70 RON 12.40

32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.50 RON 6.89

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.22 RON 5.61

28.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$1.54 RON 7.06

-22.73%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$2.94 RON 13.50

-34.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$7.87 RON 36.14

105.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.32 RON 19.83

-30.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$8.78 RON 40.29

24.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.21 RON 5.53

123.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.59 RON 7.32

-26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.73 RON 7.92

-2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.69 RON 7.78

-5.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.77 RON 3.55

79.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.87 RON 3.99

37.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$1.06 RON 4.85

-36.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.86 RON 3.97

-34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$5.74 RON 26.33

-19.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$5.29 RON 24.29

233.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.03 RON 4.75

80.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.64 RON 7.53

101.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.91 RON 4.17

-3.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$23.47 RON 108

-17.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.90 RON 4.14

51.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.87 RON 3.97

54.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$9.34 RON 42.89

-12.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.57 RON 7.20

-22.29%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$28.4K RON 130.5K

-24.91%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$26.8K RON 122.9K

-15.83%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$108 RON 498

-34.79%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$8.55 RON 39.25

64.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$7.65 RON 35.10

128.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$38.59 RON 177

9.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$23.10 RON 106

-70.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$5.79 RON 26.59

2.25%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$227 RON 1,041

36.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$6,930 RON 31.8K

114.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$39.65 RON 182

40.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$38.74 RON 178

-32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$80.7 RON 371

2.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$70.1 RON 322

0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$317 RON 1,457

36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$216 RON 990

10.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$565 RON 2,594

45.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$437 RON 2,004

17.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,456 RON 6,685

31.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$1,105 RON 5,074

32.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$847 RON 3,889

-31.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

-23.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Arad: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $317 in Arad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Arad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $185 in Arad – so Arad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Arad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arad costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,316 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $34.00 in Arad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $861 in Chiang Mai and $878 in Arad. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $878 in Arad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $878 in Arad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Arad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.