Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arkhangelsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,168 in Arkhangelsk, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Arkhangelsk
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Arkhangelsk Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Arkhangelsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,168 in Arkhangelsk.

Chiang Mai $925
Arkhangelsk $1,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,801 in Arkhangelsk.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Arkhangelsk $1,801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $2,434 in Arkhangelsk.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Arkhangelsk $2,434

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 21% less than in Arkhangelsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Arkhangelsk 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$49.21 ₽4,107

-60.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.90 ₽826

-43.33%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.67 ₽306

-54.77%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.36 ₽197

-70.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$2.41 ₽201

-87.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$3.65 ₽304

-33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$6.03 ₽503

-38.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.07 ₽88.9

82.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.94 ₽78.2

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.78 ₽148

-26.40%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.76 ₽147

23.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.36 ₽698

99.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.12 ₽511

-54.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$13.38 ₽1,116

-31.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.45 ₽204

-2.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.79 ₽149

-42.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.18 ₽98.3

38.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.49 ₽208

-39.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.88 ₽73.2

46.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.50 ₽41.38

122.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.47 ₽38.99

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.63 ₽52.5

-15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.98 ₽249

44.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.53 ₽712

110.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.89 ₽74.4

77.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$3.09 ₽258

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.59 ₽49.65

45.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$51.6 ₽4,307

3.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$4.97 ₽414

-75.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.18 ₽15.17

216.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.79 ₽65.7

82.28%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$52.5K ₽4.4M

-60.54%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$40.1K ₽3.3M

-33.11%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$114 ₽9,507

-45.28%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$9.53 ₽796

27.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$17.79 ₽1,485

12.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$54.6 ₽4,557

-32.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$48.61 ₽4,057

-92.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$9.73 ₽812

-33.20%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$183 ₽15.2K

334.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$85.4 ₽7,127

-37.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$36.31 ₽3,030

-32.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$72.6 ₽6,059

25.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$95.5 ₽7,968

-25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$600 ₽50.1K

-24.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$428 ₽35.7K

-30.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$846 ₽70.6K

7.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$719 ₽60.0K

-22.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,367 ₽114.1K

41.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$859 ₽71.7K

68.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$554 ₽46.3K

6.60%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Arkhangelsk

$428 36.7% 43.8% $131

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Arkhangelsk

$211 18.1% 10.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Arkhangelsk

$130 11.2% 20.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Arkhangelsk

$141 12.1% 49.7% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Arkhangelsk

$123 * 10.5% 56.7% $45

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Arkhangelsk

$60 5.1% 1.5% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Arkhangelsk

$74 6.3% 47.9% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $600 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 7% 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 $49.00 in Arkhangelsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $211, with Arkhangelsk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇺 Arkhangelsk

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

14:40 2:40 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

344,927

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Arkhangelsk 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arkhangelsk

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 Arkhangelsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Arkhangelsk differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($925 vs $1,168 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $600 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $925 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,168 in Arkhangelsk – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 3% less than in Arkhangelsk. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,168 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 26% less than in Arkhangelsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.