Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arusha

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $546 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $546 in Arusha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Arusha $546

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $882 in Arusha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Arusha $882

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,218 in Arusha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Arusha $1,218

Chiang Mai costs about 71% more than Arusha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Arusha are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Arusha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.32 TZS 8,701

-32.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$27.18 TZS 71.2K

-30.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.89 TZS 23.3K

-37.57%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.64 TZS 4,303

1.83%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.92 TZS 2,409

-30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.30 TZS 781

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.05 TZS 2,752

124.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.87 TZS 7,519

27.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.96 TZS 2,519

103.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.67 TZS 1,767

114.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.66 TZS 4,346

-19.88%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.74 TZS 4,560

31.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.25 TZS 5,883

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.79 TZS 2,075

89.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.46 TZS 1,195

178.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.02 TZS 2,676

7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.83 TZS 2,184

-40.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.50 TZS 3,919

176.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.96 TZS 2,515

67.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$0.97 TZS 2,529

186.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.19 TZS 498

357.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

-68.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.30 TZS 3,415

11.54%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$28.47 TZS 74.6K

118.37%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.27 TZS 21.7K

47.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$48.04 TZS 125.8K

-58.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$63.9 TZS 167.2K

-41.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

38.97%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

93.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$281 TZS 735.1K

71.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$234 TZS 611.6K

32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$495 TZS 1.3M

103.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$522 TZS 1.4M

21.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Arusha: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Arusha

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Arusha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Arusha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Arusha

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Arusha

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Arusha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Arusha

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $281 in Arusha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Arusha. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $65 in Arusha – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇿 Arusha

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

07:05 7:05 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

617,631

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,924 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Arusha 7,240 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arusha

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 Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $546 in Arusha – Arusha comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $820 in Arusha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arusha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $27 in Arusha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $546 in Arusha. That makes Arusha about 42% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $546 in Arusha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Arusha to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.