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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,011 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,597 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,182 in Arzamas.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 8% less than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Arzamas 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$10.66 ₽901

-80.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$31.71 ₽2,679

-38.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$6.90 ₽583

-17.83%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.42 ₽205

-25.21%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$1.04 ₽87.6

-25.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.56 ₽47.00

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.91 ₽162

15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.14 ₽265

20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.17 ₽98.6

75.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.75 ₽63.3

101.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$1.25 ₽105

12.00%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.37 ₽116

64.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$10.29 ₽869

57.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$5.12 ₽433

-43.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$10.12 ₽855

-6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.70 ₽144

57.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.59 ₽134

-31.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$1.65 ₽139

-1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$2.76 ₽234

-47.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.69 ₽58.0

85.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.61 ₽51.8

73.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$1.41 ₽119

-48.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.66 ₽55.9

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$3.16 ₽267

33.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$7.78 ₽657

135.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.05 ₽89.1

55.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.05 ₽173

41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.49 ₽41.65

79.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$2.40 ₽203

-51.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.28 ₽23.96

107.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$6.20 ₽524

-61.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$0.85 ₽72.1

70.59%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$30.0K ₽2.5M

-30.05%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$32.7K ₽2.8M

-19.26%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$114 ₽9,661

-44.34%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$6.21 ₽524

107.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$8.09 ₽684

153.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$38.88 ₽3,285

0.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$22.50 ₽1,901

-82.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$5.12 ₽432

28.52%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$289 ₽24.4K

171.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$7,150 ₽604.1K

105.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$65.5 ₽5,533

-15.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$56.6 ₽4,782

-56.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$112 ₽9,447

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$94.1 ₽7,946

-21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$298 ₽25.2K

64.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$317 ₽26.8K

-9.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$481 ₽40.6K

85.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$568 ₽48.0K

-8.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$2,219 ₽187.5K

-11.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$1,399 ₽118.2K

3.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-73.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $298 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $32.00 in Arzamas. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $197, with Arzamas 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 Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Arzamas differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $1,011 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $1,516 in Arzamas 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $298 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Arzamas pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,011 in Arzamas – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,011 in Arzamas, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Arzamas. 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 Arzamas 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 8% less than in Arzamas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.