Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,158 in Haarlem, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Haarlem
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Haarlem Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Haarlem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,158

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haarlem 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 Haarlem and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,158 per month in Haarlem vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Haarlem $3,158
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $4,385 per month in Haarlem vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Haarlem $4,385
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,612 per month in Haarlem vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Haarlem $5,612
Chiang Mai $1,914

Haarlem costs about 236% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Haarlem sits 134% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.84 €25.65

$2.26 ฿75.4

1176.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.4

$19.18 ฿641

424.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 €12.30

$5.59 ฿187

147.23%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.74

$1.72 ฿57.6

144.19%

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

$4.10 €3.65

$0.64 ฿21.54

540.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$0.33 ฿11.18

893.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 €7.03

$2.36 ฿78.7

234.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.93

$3.90 ฿130

42.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.26

$2.05 ฿68.6

-31.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.40 ฿46.70

99.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$1.28 ฿42.89

99.22%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.21

$2.25 ฿75.3

110.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 €12.11

$16.94 ฿566

-19.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.00 €11.56

$2.74 ฿91.6

374.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.98 €18.66

$9.36 ฿313

124.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.40 ฿80.3

24.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.01 ฿33.92

145.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.61 ฿53.9

14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 €4.39

$1.52 ฿50.7

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.28 ฿42.90

48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.11 ฿37.22

106.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.08

$0.72 ฿24.09

69.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.89

$0.52 ฿17.54

92.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 €12.53

$4.33 ฿145

225.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 €6.82

$17.73 ฿593

-56.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.63 ฿54.4

-6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.85 ฿95.3

-16.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.45

$0.85 ฿28.31

224.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 €71.9

$53.9 ฿1,801

49.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 €5.51

$1.17 ฿39.18

429.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 €2.21

$0.57 ฿19.00

336.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.09 €23.20

$2.37 ฿79.2

1000.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.45 ฿48.32

77.24%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

103.75%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

47.09%

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

$248 €221

$62.3 ฿2,083

298.65%

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

$23.70 €21.08

$12.27 ฿410

93.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 €53.9

$19.97 ฿668

203.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 €50.2

$37.91 ฿1,267

48.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.69 €24.63

$3.76 ฿126

636.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.27 €14.47

$6.71 ฿224

142.47%

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

$2,607 €2,319

$797 ฿26.6K

227.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,728 €5,984

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-54.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €76.4

$53.3 ฿1,780

61.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 €56.1

$25.05 ฿837

151.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 €87.5

$91.6 ฿3,062

7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$73.5 ฿2,455

97.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 €1,720

$464 ฿15.5K

316.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,502

$305 ฿10.2K

454.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,846 €2,531

$915 ฿30.6K

210.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 €2,011

$552 ฿18.5K

309.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,654 €6,807

$1,912 ฿63.9K

300.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,670 €5,043

$1,438 ฿48.1K

294.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 €3,677

$595 ฿19.9K

594.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.57

-31.78%

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

Last update for Haarlem: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haarlem

$1.7K 53.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 82% $1.4K

Eating Out

Haarlem

$403 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 80.4% $324

Groceries & Markets

Haarlem

$357 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 33.3% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haarlem

$333 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 71.6% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Haarlem

$177 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 38% $67

Getting Around

Haarlem

$110 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 44.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Haarlem

$89 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 42.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,934 in Haarlem versus $464 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 run about 595% higher in Haarlem, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Haarlem versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Haarlem

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

15:42 3:42 PM

5 h ahead of Haarlem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,396

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Haarlem Chiang Mai 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Haarlem
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

Haarlem vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 236% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,736 per month in Haarlem and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,607 per month in Haarlem and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Haarlem, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Haarlem at $3,158. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haarlem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,158 in Haarlem. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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