Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Nicolaas and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $136 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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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Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$136

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $136 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $136
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $332 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $332
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $527 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $527
Chiang Mai $1,979

Sint Nicolaas is about 85% cheaper than Chiang Mai.

Both Sint Nicolaas and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sint Nicolaas 90% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.40 AWG 29.34

$2.24 ฿75.6

632.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.10 AWG 80.7

$19.00 ฿641

137.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 AWG 2.03

$0.31 ฿10.31

267.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿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 Sint Nicolaas: 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

Sint Nicolaas

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Sint Nicolaas

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Sint Nicolaas

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sint Nicolaas

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Sint Nicolaas

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Sint Nicolaas

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Sint Nicolaas

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Sint Nicolaas versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

10:57 10:57 AM

11 h ahead of Sint Nicolaas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,000

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 = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sint Nicolaas Chiang Mai 16,340 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Sint Nicolaas
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

Sint Nicolaas vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 589% more than Sint Nicolaas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $204 per month in Sint Nicolaas and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $136 in Sint Nicolaas and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Sint Nicolaas about 85% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Sint Nicolaas and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sint Nicolaas, where all-in costs run around $136, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Sint Nicolaas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.