Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noord and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,861 in Noord, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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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Noord

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,861

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,861 per month in Noord vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Noord $1,861
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,125 per month in Noord vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Noord $3,125
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,389 per month in Noord vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Noord $4,389
Chiang Mai $1,914

Noord costs about 98% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Noord sits 38% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 AWG 42.35

$2.26 ฿75.4

947.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 AWG 158

$19.18 ฿641

360.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$2.95 AWG 5.28

$0.64 ฿21.54

360.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 AWG 3.56

$0.33 ฿11.18

503.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.84 AWG 15.83

$2.36 ฿78.7

274.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.18 AWG 16.42

$3.90 ฿130

135.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 AWG 3.37

$2.05 ฿68.6

-8.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 AWG 5.47

$1.40 ฿46.70

118.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 AWG 5.22

$1.28 ฿42.89

127.34%

Eggs

$6.32 AWG 11.32

$2.25 ฿75.3

180.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 AWG 22.00

$16.94 ฿566

-27.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 AWG 16.54

$2.74 ฿91.6

237.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 AWG 21.63

$9.36 ฿313

29.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 AWG 8.18

$2.40 ฿80.3

90.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 AWG 3.95

$1.01 ฿33.92

118.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.09 AWG 9.11

$1.61 ฿53.9

216.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 AWG 6.22

$1.52 ฿50.7

128.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 AWG 3.92

$1.28 ฿42.90

71.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 AWG 3.66

$1.11 ฿37.22

83.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 AWG 4.80

$0.72 ฿24.09

272.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 AWG 2.70

$0.52 ฿17.54

190.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 AWG 17.67

$4.33 ฿145

127.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 AWG 17.82

$17.73 ฿593

-43.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 AWG 9.92

$1.63 ฿54.4

240.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 AWG 7.72

$2.85 ฿95.3

51.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.78 AWG 4.98

$1.45 ฿48.32

91.72%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 AWG 2,725

$464 ฿15.5K

228.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 AWG 2,173

$305 ฿10.2K

298.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,828 AWG 5,060

$915 ฿30.6K

208.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 AWG 4,528

$552 ฿18.5K

358.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿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 Noord: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noord

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Noord

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Noord

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noord

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Noord

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Noord

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Noord

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,523 in Noord 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Noord versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Noord

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

08:03 8:03 AM

11 h ahead of Noord

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,193

127,240

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Noord Chiang Mai 16,330 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Noord
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

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

Noord costs about 98% 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 $2,792 per month in Noord 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,861 in Noord and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 98%.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Noord, 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 Noord at $1,861. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noord it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,861 in Noord. 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, Noord makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.