Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ben Arous

For one person, living is cheaper in Ben Arous: $692 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Ben Arous
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Ben Arous Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ben Arous

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ben Arous

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $692 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ben Arous $692

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,093 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ben Arous $1,093

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,494 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ben Arous $1,494

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Ben Arous, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Ben Arous are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ben Arous 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$5.29 TND 15.91

-57.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.75 TND 59.4

-3.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.88 TND 14.68

13.73%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.18 TND 3.55

41.53%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.65 TND 1.95

-1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.25 TND 0.75

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.62 TND 4.86

45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.98 TND 5.93

84.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.48 TND 1.43

306.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.10 TND 0.30

1340.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.62 TND 4.85

-17.90%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.41 TND 4.24

61.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.39 TND 31.21

58.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.86 TND 17.61

-52.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.99 TND 51.0

-45.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.66 TND 4.97

41.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$4.44 TND 13.35

-78.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.94 TND 2.82

70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.75 TND 2.26

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.85 TND 2.54

50.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.65 TND 1.97

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.48 TND 1.43

47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.31 TND 0.92

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.52 TND 10.56

17.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$6.61 TND 19.86

165.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.96 TND 2.89

67.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.23 TND 3.69

126.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.38 TND 1.15

128.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$13.41 TND 40.30

303.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.29 TND 0.86

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.29 TND 0.86

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.83 TND 5.51

32.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.80 TND 2.40

81.25%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$39.3K TND 118.0K

-46.39%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$22.7K TND 68.1K

18.80%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$54.1 TND 163

14.94%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.23 TND 30.74

18.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$20.21 TND 60.7

-0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$32.52 TND 97.7

14.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$16.90 TND 50.8

-77.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.03 TND 15.10

29.03%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$62.2 TND 187

1084.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$1,924 TND 5,779

667.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$43.82 TND 132

21.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$61.2 TND 184

-59.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$86.3 TND 259

6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$46.70 TND 140

54.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$208 TND 624

132.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$152 TND 458

102.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$379 TND 1,140

165.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$269 TND 808

135.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$909 TND 2,731

159.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$419 TND 1,260

278.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$249 TND 747

137.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.5

-46.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ben Arous

$152 22% 50.6% $156

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ben Arous

$202 29.2% 13.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ben Arous

$107 15.5% 1.4% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ben Arous

$85 12.2% 10.5% $9.9

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ben Arous

$87 12.6% 11.9% $9.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ben Arous

$17 2.4% 72.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ben Arous

$43 6.2% 15.3% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $208 in Ben Arous. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $20 in Ben Arous. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Ben Arous – so Ben Arous wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇳 Ben Arous

🕒 Local time

11:10 11:10 AM

05:10 5:10 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

88,322

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 TND = 0.333 USD

1 TND = 0.298 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ben Arous 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ben Arous

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 Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $692 in Ben Arous – Ben Arous comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,038 in Ben Arous. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ben Arous, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $20 in Ben Arous. 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 $692 in Ben Arous. That makes Ben Arous about 26% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $692 in Ben Arous, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ben Arous – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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