Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arviat

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,212 in Arviat, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Arviat
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Arviat Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Arviat

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,212 in Arviat.

Chiang Mai $938
Arviat $2,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $3,119 in Arviat.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Arviat $3,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $4,025 in Arviat.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Arviat $4,025

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 58% less than in Arviat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 30% below, Arviat is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.7

$17.31 CA$24.61

-86.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿644

$64.8 CA$92.2

-70.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

$11.21 CA$15.94

-50.13%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.9

$3.65 CA$5.19

-52.88%

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

$0.64 ฿21.63

$1.95 CA$2.77

-67.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.22

$1.54 CA$2.18

-78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$5.27 CA$7.49

-55.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

$5.58 CA$7.93

-30.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

$2.08 CA$2.96

-1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.89

$2.51 CA$3.58

-44.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$3.27 CA$4.65

-60.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.34 CA$4.74

-32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿568

$9.60 CA$13.64

76.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.0

$10.27 CA$14.60

-73.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

$14.59 CA$20.75

-35.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$3.24 CA$4.60

-25.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.05

$1.18 CA$1.68

-14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.1

$4.18 CA$5.95

-61.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$3.21 CA$4.57

-52.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.07

$2.36 CA$3.36

-45.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.36

$2.11 CA$3.00

-47.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.18

$2.49 CA$3.54

-71.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

$1.63 CA$2.31

-68.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$13.77 CA$19.58

-68.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿595

$13.06 CA$18.57

35.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$2.37 CA$3.37

-31.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.7

$2.64 CA$3.75

7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.42

$2.20 CA$3.13

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,808

$62.5 CA$88.9

-13.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.33

$2.88 CA$4.10

-59.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.07

$1.59 CA$2.27

-64.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.5

$25.35 CA$36.05

-90.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$1.30 CA$1.85

11.54%

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

$20.5K ฿686.9K

$27.2K CA$38.6K

-24.64%

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

$26.5K ฿889.5K

$16.4K CA$23.3K

61.57%

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

$62.3 ฿2,091

$147 CA$209

-57.70%

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

$12.27 ฿412

$34.05 CA$48.41

-63.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿670

$50.0 CA$71.1

-60.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,272

$42.33 CA$60.2

-10.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$16.95 CA$24.10

-77.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

$12.62 CA$17.94

-46.83%

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

$797 ฿26.7K

$707 CA$1,005

12.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$12.9K CA$18.3K

14.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,787

$46.01 CA$65.4

15.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿840

$33.72 CA$47.95

-25.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,074

$93.9 CA$133

-2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,465

$98.8 CA$141

-25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

$1,306 CA$1,856

-64.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$1,105 CA$1,570

-72.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

$2,051 CA$2,917

-55.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,534 CA$2,181

-64.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.1K

$4,007 CA$5,697

-52.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$3,716 CA$5,284

-61.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.66

19.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arviat: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Arviat

$1.1K 50% 263% $800

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Arviat

$336 15.2% 41.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Arviat

$123 5.5% 11.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Arviat

$231 10.5% 145% $137

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Arviat

$267 12.1% 238% $188

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Arviat

$82 3.7% 34% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Arviat

$68 3.1% 31.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $1,306 in Arviat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $65.0 in Arviat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $336 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇦 Arviat

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

17:28 5:28 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Arviat 11,050 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arviat

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 Arviat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Arviat differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $2,212 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Chiang Mai and $3,318 in Arviat 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: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $1,306 in Arviat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $707 in Arviat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,212 in Arviat, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arviat. 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 Arviat 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 136% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.