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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,076 in Arkhangelsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $1,673 in Arkhangelsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $2,271 in Arkhangelsk.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 12% less than in Arkhangelsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Arkhangelsk 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$46.28 ₽3,971

-57.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$9.18 ₽788

-38.45%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$3.54 ₽303

-48.87%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$2.31 ₽198

-69.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$2.33 ₽200

-86.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$3.57 ₽307

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.95 ₽510

-38.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.06 ₽90.6

84.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$0.92 ₽78.6

63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$1.79 ₽153

-25.14%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$1.62 ₽139

39.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$8.08 ₽693

101.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$5.63 ₽483

-47.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$12.50 ₽1,073

-20.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$2.39 ₽205

7.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$1.70 ₽146

-37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.14 ₽98.2

41.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$2.36 ₽203

-35.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$0.83 ₽71.0

53.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$0.45 ₽38.52

137.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$0.47 ₽40.48

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.55 ₽47.58

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$2.83 ₽243

48.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$8.14 ₽698

119.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$0.78 ₽67.3

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$2.88 ₽248

-1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$0.58 ₽49.98

60.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$50.3 ₽4,320

7.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$4.58 ₽393

-73.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.16 ₽13.71

262.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$0.82 ₽70.3

71.95%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$47.1K ₽4.0M

-54.49%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$34.2K ₽2.9M

-20.13%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$108 ₽9,256

-40.97%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$9.36 ₽804

37.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$17.72 ₽1,521

14.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$52.5 ₽4,506

-26.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$45.63 ₽3,916

-91.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$9.37 ₽804

-28.07%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$176 ₽15.1K

341.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$80.8 ₽6,936

-32.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$34.23 ₽2,938

-25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$91.3 ₽7,835

3.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$91.5 ₽7,852

-19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$500 ₽42.9K

-2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

$379 ₽32.5K

-23.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$708 ₽60.7K

26.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$615 ₽52.8K

-15.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$1,471 ₽126.2K

32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$1,109 ₽95.1K

33.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$488 ₽41.9K

23.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-75.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $500 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $46.00 in Arkhangelsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $200, with Arkhangelsk cheaper for home cooking.

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 Arkhangelsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Arkhangelsk differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $1,076 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $500 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $947 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,076 in Arkhangelsk – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 7% less than in Arkhangelsk. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,076 in Arkhangelsk, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arkhangelsk. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this 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 Arkhangelsk are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Arkhangelsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.