Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,733 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,733

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,733 per month in The Hague vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

The Hague $2,733
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $4,089 per month in The Hague vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

The Hague $4,089
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,446 per month in The Hague vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

The Hague $5,446
Chiang Mai $1,914

The Hague costs about 191% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The Hague sits 102% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 €19.88

$2.26 ฿75.4

888.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 €77.8

$19.18 ฿641

356.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.89 €13.24

$5.59 ฿187

166.37%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.91

$1.72 ฿57.6

155.23%

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

$4.28 €3.81

$0.64 ฿21.54

568.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.63

$0.33 ฿11.18

1136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 €6.37

$2.36 ฿78.7

203.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 €6.79

$3.90 ฿130

95.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.05 ฿68.6

-27.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.40 ฿46.70

63.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.28 ฿42.89

96.09%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.20

$2.25 ฿75.3

110.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.45 €12.85

$16.94 ฿566

-14.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.18 €11.73

$2.74 ฿91.6

381.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €17.12

$9.36 ฿313

105.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.40 ฿80.3

5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.01 ฿33.92

120.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.61 ฿53.9

22.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.20

$1.52 ฿50.7

136.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.28 ฿42.90

1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.11 ฿37.22

15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €0.99

$0.72 ฿24.09

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.52 ฿17.54

78.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.47 €12.87

$4.33 ฿145

234.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.24

$17.73 ฿593

-66.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.63 ฿54.4

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.85 ฿95.3

-31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 €4.08

$0.85 ฿28.31

440.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.1 €81.0

$53.9 ฿1,801

69.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €4.03

$1.17 ฿39.18

288.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 €2.95

$0.57 ฿19.00

482.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.71 €29.99

$2.37 ฿79.2

1322.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.45 ฿48.32

73.79%

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

$41.4K €36.9K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

102.36%

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

$39.5K €35.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

48.94%

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

$281 €250

$62.3 ฿2,083

351.61%

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

$28.39 €25.25

$12.27 ฿410

131.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 €48.31

$19.97 ฿668

171.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €44.82

$37.91 ฿1,267

32.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.94 €21.30

$3.76 ฿126

536.70%

Cinema Ticket

$16.49 €14.67

$6.71 ฿224

145.75%

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

$2,400 €2,135

$797 ฿26.6K

201.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-21.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €85.2

$53.3 ฿1,780

79.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.61 €38.79

$25.05 ฿837

74.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.2

$91.6 ฿3,062

18.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$73.5 ฿2,455

85.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 €1,459

$464 ฿15.5K

253.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 €1,148

$305 ฿10.2K

323.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 €2,489

$915 ฿30.6K

205.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,264 €2,014

$552 ฿18.5K

309.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,067 €5,396

$1,912 ฿63.9K

217.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,538 €4,037

$1,438 ฿48.1K

215.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,069 €3,619

$595 ฿19.9K

583.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

5.57

-38.96%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Hague

$1.3K 47.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 76.4% $986

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Hague

$364 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 74% $270

Eating Out

The Hague

$361 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 78.1% $282

Groceries & Markets

The Hague

$330 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 27.9% $92

Clothing & Footwear

The Hague

$173 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 36.6% $63

Getting Around

The Hague

$131 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 53% $69

Sport & Entertainment

The Hague

$83 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 38.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in The Hague 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 584% higher in The Hague, 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 $87.0 in The Hague versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 The Hague

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

23:47 11:47 PM

5 h ahead of The Hague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562,839

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

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The Hague Chiang Mai 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

The Hague
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

The Hague vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Hague costs about 191% 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 $4,099 per month in The Hague 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 $2,400 per month in The Hague 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 39% more in The Hague, 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 The Hague at $2,733. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Hague it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,733 in The Hague. 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, The Hague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.