Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arar

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,185 in Arar, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Arar
Learn more

Arar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Arar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,185 in Arar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Arar $1,185

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,820 in Arar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Arar $1,820

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,454 in Arar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Arar $2,454

Chiang Mai is about 21% cheaper than Arar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Arar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Arar 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$7.45 SAR 27.97

-71.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$34.32 SAR 129

-45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$6.87 SAR 25.77

-18.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.92

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.04 SAR 11.39

-45.39%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.81 SAR 3.04

-19.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.24 SAR 0.91

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.53 SAR 5.76

32.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.39 SAR 5.22

1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$2.26 SAR 8.47

-38.50%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.28 SAR 8.54

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.95 SAR 29.85

107.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$8.74 SAR 32.81

-69.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$13.35 SAR 50.1

-32.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.43 SAR 9.12

-1.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.78 SAR 6.67

-41.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.73 SAR 6.50

-4.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.39 SAR 5.22

12.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.33 SAR 4.98

-6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.43 SAR 5.38

-23.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.35 SAR 5.06

-43.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.54 SAR 2.02

-5.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 SAR 11.93

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$7.47 SAR 28.04

-44.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.12 SAR 4.21

-16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$41.17 SAR 155

28.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.75 SAR 10.31

-57.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.48 SAR 5.57

-88.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$13.41 SAR 50.3

-86.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$0.68 SAR 2.56

116.18%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$29.6K SAR 111.2K

-29.08%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$23.2K SAR 87.2K

14.18%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$111 SAR 416

-43.57%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$28.89 SAR 108

-59.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$60.5 SAR 227

-66.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$73.8 SAR 277

-48.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$13.55 SAR 50.9

-51.96%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$394 SAR 1,481

84.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$10.5K SAR 39.4K

58.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$39.59 SAR 149

35.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$50.1 SAR 188

-50.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$110 SAR 413

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$75.1 SAR 282

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$627 SAR 2,355

-23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$373 SAR 1,400

-16.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$812 SAR 3,049

30.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$701 SAR 2,632

-6.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$1,731 SAR 6,496

39.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,161 SAR 4,356

38.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.54

0.54%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Arar: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Arar

$373 31.5% 20.4% $63

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Arar

$210 17.8% 11.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Arar

$124 10.4% 14.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Arar

$200 16.9% 112% $106

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Arar

$121 10.2% 57.8% $44

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Arar

$56 4.7% 4.8% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Arar

$101 8.5% 98.3% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $627 in Arar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Arar. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $210 in Arar – so Arar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Arar

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

07:45 7:45 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

167,057

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Arar 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arar

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 Arar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $1,185 in Arar – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,777 in Arar. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $627 in Arar.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Arar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $394 in Arar. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,185 in Arar. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,185 in Arar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.