Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sint Nicolaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $136 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sint Nicolaas

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $136 in Sint Nicolaas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sint Nicolaas $136

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $332 in Sint Nicolaas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sint Nicolaas $332

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $527 in Sint Nicolaas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sint Nicolaas $527

Chiang Mai costs about 589% more than Sint Nicolaas.

Both Chiang Mai and Sint Nicolaas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sint Nicolaas 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$16.40 AWG 29.34

-86.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$45.10 AWG 80.7

-57.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.14 AWG 2.03

-72.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

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

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

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 ฿2,427

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

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 Sint Nicolaas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $45 in Sint Nicolaas. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

00:51 12:51 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

18,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sint Nicolaas 16,340 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sint Nicolaas

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 Sint Nicolaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 589% more than Sint Nicolaas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $204 in Sint Nicolaas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $136 in Sint Nicolaas. That makes Sint Nicolaas about 85% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $45 in Sint Nicolaas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sint Nicolaas, where all-in costs run around $136, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Sint Nicolaas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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