Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $480 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $480 in Arak.

Chiang Mai $936
Arak $480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $755 in Arak.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Arak $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,030 in Arak.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Arak $1,030

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 95% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Arak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.55 $3.55

-36.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$12.88 $12.88

47.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.09 $4.09

35.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.33 $1.33

25.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.51 $0.51

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.66 $1.66

-81.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.54 $0.54

261.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.58 $0.58

148.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.96 $1.96

-32.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.28 $1.28

78.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$2.14 $2.14

668.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.53 $2.53

9.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.31 $10.31

-9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$0.77 $0.77

205.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.94 $0.94

3.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.63 $0.63

153.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.48 $0.48

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.42 $0.42

204.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.44 $0.44

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.48 $0.48

47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.28 $0.28

75.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.52 $2.52

64.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.10 $0.10

770.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$9.70 $9.70

457.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.25 $0.25

364.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.12 $0.12

341.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.02 $1.02

137.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.10 $0.10

1350.00%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$50.3K $50.3K

-58.17%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.91%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$10.03 $10.03

519.84%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$1.43 $1.43

751.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$4.01 $4.01

401.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$9.93 $9.93

275.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$24.64 $24.64

-84.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.11 $1.11

484.68%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$83.3 $83.3

784.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$2,372 $2,372

522.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$13.59 $13.59

292.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$8.51 $8.51

189.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$81.9 $81.9

11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$52.1 $52.1

38.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$294 $294

64.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$210 $210

47.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$781 $781

28.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$357 $357

77.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,369 $1,369

72.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$647 $647

145.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$375 $375

57.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.5

-69.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Arak

$210 43.7% 32.1% $99

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Arak

$96 20% 59% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Arak

$70 14.6% 35.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Arak

$15 3.2% 83.6% $79

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Arak

$65 13.6% 15.8% $12

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Arak

$11 2.3% 82.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Arak

$12 2.5% 75.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $294 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 57% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $13 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $96 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

02:42 2:42 AM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

526,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Arak 5,140 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arak

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 Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $294 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $480 in Arak – Arak is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 82% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Arak are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.