Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oranjestad and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,346 in Oranjestad, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,346

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,346 per month in Oranjestad vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Oranjestad $2,346
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,175 per month in Oranjestad vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Oranjestad $4,175
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $6,004 per month in Oranjestad vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Oranjestad $6,004
Chiang Mai $1,979

Oranjestad costs about 151% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Oranjestad sits 72% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.02 AWG 39.40

$2.24 ฿75.6

883.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 AWG 142

$19.00 ฿641

317.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 AWG 18.17

$5.55 ฿187

82.88%

Cappuccino

$4.33 AWG 7.74

$1.67 ฿56.5

159.28%

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

$1.48 AWG 2.65

$0.64 ฿21.55

131.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 AWG 2.99

$0.31 ฿10.31

438.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 AWG 5.32

$2.36 ฿79.6

25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 AWG 6.99

$3.66 ฿124

6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 AWG 3.43

$1.95 ฿65.8

-1.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 AWG 5.17

$1.44 ฿48.48

100.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 AWG 5.06

$1.33 ฿45.04

112.78%

Eggs

$5.36 AWG 9.59

$2.28 ฿77.1

135.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 AWG 22.42

$16.45 ฿555

-23.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 AWG 16.41

$2.78 ฿93.9

229.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 AWG 22.12

$9.31 ฿314

32.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 AWG 8.47

$2.35 ฿79.4

101.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 AWG 4.12

$0.97 ฿32.80

137.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 AWG 9.14

$1.60 ฿53.9

219.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 AWG 6.37

$1.50 ฿50.6

137.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 AWG 3.87

$1.28 ฿43.12

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 AWG 3.63

$1.10 ฿37.19

84.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 AWG 4.63

$0.71 ฿23.82

264.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 AWG 2.84

$0.49 ฿16.37

224.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 AWG 18.19

$4.14 ฿140

145.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 AWG 18.24

$17.52 ฿591

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 AWG 7.08

$1.61 ฿54.5

145.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 AWG 7.90

$2.78 ฿94.0

58.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 AWG 3.83

$0.87 ฿29.31

145.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.60 AWG 54.8

$54.1 ฿1,826

-43.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.76 AWG 30.00

$1.16 ฿39.06

1344.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.90 AWG 6.98

$0.53 ฿17.80

635.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 AWG 44.20

$2.42 ฿81.8

920.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 AWG 3.67

$1.45 ฿48.90

41.38%

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

$26.3K AWG 47.1K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

25.07%

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

$34.9K AWG 62.5K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

29.66%

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

$256 AWG 458

$62.2 ฿2,098

311.58%

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

$48.94 AWG 87.6

$12.17 ฿411

302.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 AWG 191

$20.12 ฿679

430.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 AWG 113

$37.31 ฿1,259

69.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 AWG 46.32

$3.77 ฿127

586.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 AWG 21.02

$6.49 ฿219

81.05%

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

$252 AWG 451

$736 ฿24.8K

-65.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,767 AWG 15.7K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-40.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AWG 105

$53.4 ฿1,801

10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 AWG 92.0

$24.64 ฿831

108.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 AWG 191

$91.5 ฿3,087

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AWG 188

$71.9 ฿2,428

45.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 AWG 1,668

$482 ฿16.3K

93.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 AWG 1,731

$309 ฿10.4K

213.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 AWG 4,790

$1,006 ฿33.9K

166.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 AWG 5,408

$633 ฿21.4K

377.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,284 AWG 4,087

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-3.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 AWG 3,059

$1,589 ฿53.6K

7.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,690 AWG 3,024

$590 ฿19.9K

186.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.57

12.21%

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

Last update for Oranjestad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oranjestad

$967 41.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 68.1% $659

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oranjestad

$412 17.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 77% $317

Groceries & Markets

Oranjestad

$366 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 36% $132

Eating Out

Oranjestad

$294 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 73.6% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Oranjestad

$145 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 25% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Oranjestad

$87 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 42.1% $37

Getting Around

Oranjestad

$75 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 18.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in Oranjestad 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 Oranjestad are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Oranjestad versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

11:45 11:45 AM

11 h ahead of Oranjestad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

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).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Oranjestad
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

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

Oranjestad costs about 151% 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 $3,519 per month in Oranjestad and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $932 in Oranjestad.

Kindergarten costs $252 per month in Oranjestad and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Oranjestad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,346 in Oranjestad and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,346 in Oranjestad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oranjestad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.