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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $872 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,235 in Arun, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,360 in Arun, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,484 in Arun, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 61% cheaper than Arun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chiang Mai sits 35% below the global median, while Arun is 66% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ฿64.5

$18.94 £14.03

-89.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.23 ฿584

$111 £82.1

-83.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ฿245

$10.78 £7.99

-29.04%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿61.5

$2.78 £2.06

-30.94%

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

$0.84 ฿26.97

$2.86 £2.12

-70.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.42

$1.86 £1.38

-80.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿70.2

$2.77 £2.06

-20.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿121

$3.43 £2.54

10.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿52.5

$1.78 £1.32

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿52.0

$2.10 £1.56

-22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.98

$2.57 £1.90

-55.25%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿62.2

$4.79 £3.55

-59.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿511

$4.68 £3.47

240.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ฿99.5

$8.73 £6.47

-64.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ฿355

$14.74 £10.92

-24.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿86.8

$2.06 £1.53

31.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿37.80

$1.43 £1.06

-17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿54.7

$3.20 £2.37

-46.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$3.58 £2.65

-55.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.66

$1.39 £1.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.81

$1.07 £0.79

7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿22.83

$0.81 £0.60

-12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿17.65

$1.12 £0.83

-50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿146

$18.39 £13.63

-75.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ฿605

$14.11 £10.46

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$2.06 £1.53

-11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿103

$4.01 £2.97

-19.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.24

$4.45 £3.30

-80.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿606

$88.8 £65.8

-78.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.30

$5.59 £4.14

-74.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 ฿41.71

$1.74 £1.29

-25.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 ฿263

$41.10 £30.46

-80.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.29

$1.88 £1.40

-34.57%

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

$21.2K ฿678.9K

$38.2K £28.3K

-44.57%

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

$22.3K ฿715.3K

$39.6K £29.4K

-43.69%

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

$69.9 ฿2,240

$325 £241

-78.50%

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

$14.07 ฿451

$20.22 £14.98

-30.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.70 ฿567

$42.71 £31.65

-58.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,328

$54.5 £40.36

-23.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ฿184

$6.26 £4.64

-8.31%

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

$299 ฿9,593

$2,513 £1,862

-88.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿481.2K

$28.6K £21.2K

-47.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,758

$34.38 £25.48

59.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ฿845

$39.43 £29.22

-33.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ฿2,714

$128 £94.7

-33.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,236

$68.6 £50.8

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

$1,202 £891

-64.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,718

$1,021 £757

-76.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

$2,023 £1,499

-59.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

$1,678 £1,243

-70.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

$3,482 £2,580

-81.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

-0.99%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Last update for Arun: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $427 in Chiang Mai versus $1,202 in Arun. 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 445% higher in Arun, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Chiang Mai versus $111 in Arun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $289 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Arun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arun costs about 156% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,308 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,353 in Arun. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $111 in Arun. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $872 in Chiang Mai and $2,235 in Arun. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $872, than in Arun at $2,235. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arun it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $2,235 in Arun. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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