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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,176 in Artem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,775 in Artem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $2,375 in Artem.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 26% less than in Artem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Artem 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$14.97 ₽1,093

-87.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$38.40 ₽2,803

-51.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$5.91 ₽432

32.32%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$3.00 ₽219

-35.00%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$1.05 ₽76.3

-19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.68 ₽49.77

-48.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.24 ₽90.3

71.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.20 ₽234

16.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.56 ₽114

9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.73 ₽53.0

123.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.82 ₽133

-37.36%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$2.73 ₽199

-29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$11.43 ₽834

41.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.07 ₽443

-48.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$10.60 ₽774

2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$2.51 ₽183

9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$2.27 ₽166

-46.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$2.66 ₽194

-39.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$3.02 ₽221

-47.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.87 ₽63.7

60.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.84 ₽61.2

39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$1.67 ₽122

-60.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$1.18 ₽86.1

-55.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.01 ₽220

55.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$8.91 ₽650

109.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.15 ₽84.1

56.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.23 ₽235

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.53 ₽38.87

69.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$1.86 ₽136

-24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.17 ₽12.37

658.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$6.64 ₽485

18.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$0.72 ₽52.8

76.39%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$31.9K ₽2.3M

-33.31%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$38.1K ₽2.8M

-41.72%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$176 ₽12.8K

-60.74%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$5.74 ₽419

145.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$8.51 ₽621

111.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$36.24 ₽2,645

13.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$5.74 ₽419

3.14%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$475 ₽34.7K

-37.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$6,897 ₽503.4K

116.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$119 ₽8,719

-54.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$59.2 ₽4,319

-54.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$81.7 ₽5,964

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$150 ₽10.9K

-52.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$449 ₽32.8K

-4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$303 ₽22.1K

-21.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$760 ₽55.5K

5.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$514 ₽37.5K

0.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$2,646 ₽193.1K

-25.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,615 ₽117.8K

-8.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-76.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Artem: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $449 in Artem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $38.00 in Artem. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $245, with Artem 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 Artem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Artem. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,300 in Chiang Mai and $1,764 in Artem to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $449 in Artem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $475 in Artem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $38.00 in Artem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,176 in Artem, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Artem. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Artem 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 36% less than in Artem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.