Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Den Helder and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,005 in Den Helder, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Den Helder, Netherlands
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Den Helder
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,005
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Den Helder and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Den Helder and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,005 per month in Den Helder vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Den Helder $2,005
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,061 per month in Den Helder vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Den Helder $3,061
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,117 per month in Den Helder vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Den Helder $4,117
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Den Helder costs about 114% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Den Helder sits 47% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.39 €17.37
$2.24 ฿75.5
765.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.9 €48.34
$19.00 ฿640
183.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.25 €7.39
$5.55 ฿187
48.65%
Cappuccino
$3.72 €3.33
$1.67 ฿56.4
122.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.67
$0.64 ฿21.51
365.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 €2.70
$0.31 ฿10.29
874.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.01 €4.49
$2.36 ฿79.5
112.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.88 €4.38
$3.66 ฿123
33.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.95 ฿65.7
-43.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 €1.11
$1.44 ฿48.41
-13.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.33 ฿44.97
-38.35%
Eggs
$4.20 €3.76
$2.28 ฿77.0
84.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.10 €9.05
$16.45 ฿554
-38.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.50 €12.99
$2.78 ฿93.8
421.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.85 €14.20
$9.31 ฿314
70.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 €2.33
$2.35 ฿79.3
10.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 €1.76
$0.97 ฿32.75
102.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.60 ฿53.8
-23.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 €3.76
$1.50 ฿50.6
179.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 €1.26
$1.28 ฿43.06
9.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 €0.90
$1.10 ฿37.14
-8.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 €0.93
$0.71 ฿23.79
45.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 €0.62
$0.49 ฿16.34
42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.59 €12.17
$4.14 ฿140
228.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.22 €6.47
$17.52 ฿590
-58.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.61 ฿54.4
-18.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.36
$2.78 ฿93.8
-5.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$9.43 €8.45
$0.87 ฿29.27
983.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$154 €138
$54.1 ฿1,823
184.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 €3.43
$1.16 ฿39.00
230.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.10 €2.78
$0.53 ฿17.78
484.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.21 €32.45
$2.42 ฿81.6
1396.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.47 €2.22
$1.45 ฿48.82
70.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.1K €36.8K
$21.1K ฿709.7K
95.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €35.0K
$26.9K ฿907.9K
44.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 €180
$62.2 ฿2,095
223.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.19 €13.61
$12.17 ฿410
24.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.22 €18.11
$20.12 ฿678
0.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.99 €21.50
$37.31 ฿1,257
-35.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.17 €17.18
$3.77 ฿127
408.49%
Cinema Ticket
$14.70 €13.17
$6.49 ฿219
126.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,878 €2,579
$736 ฿24.8K
290.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K €11.6K
$14.8K ฿497.6K
-11.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 €104
$53.4 ฿1,799
117.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.63 €41.79
$24.64 ฿830
89.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 €106
$91.5 ฿3,083
29.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €122
$71.9 ฿2,424
88.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$883 €791
$482 ฿16.3K
83.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$744 €666
$309 ฿10.4K
140.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,792 €1,606
$1,006 ฿33.9K
78.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,347 €1,207
$633 ฿21.3K
112.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,912 €2,610
$2,363 ฿79.6K
23.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Den Helder
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,429 €2,177
$590 ฿19.9K
311.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.8
5.57
-49.73%

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

Last update for Den Helder: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Den Helder
$744
Chiang Mai
$309 58.5% $435
Groceries & Markets
Den Helder
$289
Chiang Mai
$234 19% $55
Eating Out
Den Helder
$283
Chiang Mai
$78 72.6% $206
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Den Helder
$237
Chiang Mai
$94 60.1% $142
Getting Around
Den Helder
$211
Chiang Mai
$61 70.9% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Den Helder
$188
Chiang Mai
$109 42.1% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Den Helder
$53
Chiang Mai
$50 5.8% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $883 in Den Helder versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Den Helder are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Den Helder versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Den Helder
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
10:51 10:51 AM
16:51 4:51 PM
6 h ahead of Den Helder
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
56,296
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Den Helder Chiang Mai 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Den Helder
  • Chiang Mai

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
Den Helder vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Den Helder or Chiang Mai?
Den Helder costs about 114% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Den Helder and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,007 per month in Den Helder and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Den Helder or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $883 in Den Helder.
How do childcare costs compare in Den Helder and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $2,878 per month in Den Helder and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Den Helder or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Den Helder, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Den Helder or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,005 in Den Helder and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Den Helder compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Den Helder or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Den Helder makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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