Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Aruba and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,886 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Other living expenses 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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Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,886

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,886 per month in Santa Cruz vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,886
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,900 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Cruz $2,900
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,914 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Santa Cruz $3,914
Chiang Mai $1,999

Santa Cruz costs about 102% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Santa Cruz sits 40% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 AWG 3.94

$2.02 ฿67.4

8.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 AWG 4.73

$1.41 ฿47.08

87.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 AWG 7.91

$1.39 ฿46.54

217.99%

Eggs

$4.78 AWG 8.55

$2.37 ฿79.2

101.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 AWG 14.57

$16.52 ฿552

-50.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 AWG 13.77

$2.67 ฿89.3

188.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.75 AWG 12.08

$9.02 ฿302

-25.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 AWG 8.08

$2.40 ฿80.2

88.33%

Banana (1kg)

$4.57 AWG 8.17

$1.04 ฿34.82

339.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.12 AWG 14.54

$1.66 ฿55.5

389.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 AWG 12.29

$1.56 ฿52.1

340.38%

Potato (1kg)

$6.70 AWG 11.99

$1.24 ฿41.39

440.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 AWG 3.39

$1.09 ฿36.34

73.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 AWG 5.37

$0.76 ฿25.47

294.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 AWG 8.13

$0.51 ฿17.19

790.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 AWG 18.51

$4.12 ฿138

150.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.59 AWG 35.05

$17.93 ฿600

9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 AWG 4.56

$1.62 ฿54.3

57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 AWG 5.54

$2.82 ฿94.4

9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 AWG 3.50

$0.93 ฿31.25

110.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 AWG 276

$52.9 ฿1,769

191.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.32 AWG 34.57

$1.18 ฿39.35

1537.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 AWG 35.34

$1.81 ฿60.6

991.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

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

$141 AWG 252

$62.6 ฿2,092

124.68%

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

$71.3 AWG 128

$11.60 ฿388

514.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$207 AWG 371

$20.30 ฿679

920.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 AWG 123

$37.88 ฿1,267

80.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.44 AWG 83.1

$3.70 ฿124

1155.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 AWG 15.02

$6.51 ฿218

28.88%

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

$141 AWG 252

$727 ฿24.3K

-80.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 AWG 141

$53.5 ฿1,790

47.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$110 AWG 197

$24.80 ฿829

343.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 AWG 251

$90.4 ฿3,023

55.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 AWG 245

$72.0 ฿2,407

89.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 AWG 2,270

$481 ฿16.1K

163.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 AWG 998

$310 ฿10.4K

79.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 AWG 2,746

$1,058 ฿35.4K

44.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 AWG 2,519

$659 ฿22.0K

113.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,667 AWG 6,564

$595 ฿19.9K

516.52%

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 Santa Cruz: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,268 in Santa Cruz versus $481 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 Santa Cruz are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

15:50 3:50 PM

11 h ahead of Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,236

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 November 6, 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Chiang Mai 16,330 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz
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

Santa Cruz vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz costs about 102% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,829 per month in Santa Cruz 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 $481 there versus $1,268 in Santa Cruz.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Santa Cruz, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,886 in Santa Cruz and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,886 in Santa Cruz. 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, Santa Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.