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 $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $884 in Arad, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,394 in Arad, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,904 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 35% lower, Arad 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$9.32 RON 42.13

-79.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$35.02 RON 158

-46.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$7.04 RON 31.82

11.08%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$2.30 RON 10.41

-15.22%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$1.64 RON 7.39

-48.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$1.78 RON 8.03

-80.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$2.04 RON 9.21

4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.77 RON 12.54

34.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.52 RON 6.86

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.26 RON 5.69

29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.52 RON 6.87

-25.00%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$2.92 RON 13.22

-33.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$8.11 RON 36.64

99.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.28 RON 19.36

-27.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.65 RON 39.08

26.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.18 RON 5.33

133.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.52 RON 6.86

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.65 RON 7.46

-1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.66 RON 7.50

-4.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.80 RON 3.62

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.91 RON 4.13

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$1.02 RON 4.60

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.92 RON 4.18

-42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$5.84 RON 26.38

-19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$6.23 RON 28.14

199.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.99 RON 4.49

81.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.59 RON 7.19

103.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.95 RON 4.30

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$23.51 RON 106

-18.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.85 RON 3.86

65.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.87 RON 3.92

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$8.98 RON 40.57

-12.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.57 RON 7.07

-19.11%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$28.1K RON 127.0K

-24.28%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$26.6K RON 120.3K

-16.54%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$111 RON 504

-38.02%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$8.40 RON 37.98

67.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$7.84 RON 35.46

129.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$38.80 RON 175

5.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$23.06 RON 104

-69.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$5.67 RON 25.62

4.41%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$228 RON 1,032

30.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$6,887 RON 31.1K

117.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$40.72 RON 184

34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$38.66 RON 175

-30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$79.9 RON 361

6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$69.5 RON 314

1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$320 RON 1,445

33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$221 RON 1,000

7.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$564 RON 2,550

42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$429 RON 1,938

20.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$1,484 RON 6,706

33.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,097 RON 4,958

34.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$882 RON 3,986

-29.98%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arad: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $320 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 43% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $35.00 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $187 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 $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,326 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $35.00 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 $866 in Chiang Mai and $884 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 $866 in Chiang Mai and $884 in Arad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $884 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.