Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arta

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,348 in Arta, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Arta
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Arta Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Arta

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,348 in Arta, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Arta $1,348

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,005 in Arta, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Arta $2,005

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,661 in Arta, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Arta $2,661

Chiang Mai is about 31% cheaper than Arta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$11.28 €10.06

-81.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$44.11 €39.35

-57.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$9.98 €8.90

-43.89%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$4.22 €3.76

-60.66%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$2.87 €2.56

-77.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.54 €0.48

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$5.17 €4.61

-55.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$6.02 €5.37

-39.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.24 €1.11

62.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.15 €1.03

22.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$0.92 €0.82

51.09%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$3.39 €3.02

-30.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$13.68 €12.20

20.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$11.05 €9.86

-75.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$10.96 €9.78

-17.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.00 €0.89

140.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.27 €1.13

-18.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.20 €1.07

38.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.99 €0.89

57.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.22 €1.09

1.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.09 €0.97

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.82 €0.73

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.15 €0.14

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.99 €4.45

-17.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$4.42 €3.94

305.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$0.85 €0.76

90.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.25 €2.01

25.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$1.41 €1.25

-34.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$49.30 €43.98

7.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$4.30 €3.84

-72.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.10 €0.98

-84.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$16.57 €14.78

-89.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$2.10 €1.87

-30.00%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$28.2K €25.1K

-25.47%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$28.1K €25.1K

-5.80%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$211 €188

-70.35%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$23.45 €20.92

-50.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$24.99 €22.29

-18.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$52.1 €46.50

-27.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$25.62 €22.85

-85.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$10.60 €9.46

-38.58%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$467 €416

55.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$9,041 €8,064

83.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$89.3 €79.7

-40.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$28.26 €25.21

-12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$77.7 €69.3

16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$89.5 €79.8

-19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$494 €441

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$379 €338

-18.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$746 €666

41.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$599 €534

10.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$2,477 €2,210

-2.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,969 €1,756

-18.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$895 €798

-33.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.34

4.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Arta: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Arta

$379 28.1% 22.3% $69

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Arta

$221 16.4% 6.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Arta

$128 9.5% 18.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Arta

$259 19.2% 175% $165

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Arta

$222 16.5% 190% $146

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Arta

$65 4.8% 10.3% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Arta

$73 5.4% 44.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $494 in Arta. 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 50% higher in Arta. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $44 in Arta. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $221 in Arta – so Arta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇷 Arta

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

19,435

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Arta 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arta

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 Arta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Arta is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,022 in Arta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $494 in Arta. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $467 in Arta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Arta – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,348 in Arta. 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 $1,348 in Arta. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.