Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Argos and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,254 in Argos, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Argos
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Argos Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Argos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,254

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,254 per month in Argos vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Argos $1,254
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,845 per month in Argos vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Argos $1,845
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,436 per month in Argos vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Argos $2,436
Chiang Mai $1,979

Argos costs about 34% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Argos and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Argos 8% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.82

$2.24 ฿75.6

389.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.22 €32.44

$19.00 ฿641

90.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 €6.82

$5.55 ฿187

37.12%

Cappuccino

$2.53 €2.26

$1.67 ฿56.5

51.50%

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

$1.66 €1.49

$0.64 ฿21.54

159.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.57

$0.31 ฿10.31

103.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.52

$2.36 ฿79.5

19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.97

$3.66 ฿124

-9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.95 ฿65.7

-31.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.44 ฿48.46

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.33 ฿45.03

18.05%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.99

$2.28 ฿77.1

46.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 €10.94

$16.45 ฿555

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 €5.87

$2.78 ฿93.9

135.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.94 €8.01

$9.31 ฿314

-3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 €1.29

$2.35 ฿79.4

-38.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$0.97 ฿32.79

58.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.60 ฿53.9

-36.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.50 ฿50.6

23.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 €0.88

$1.28 ฿43.11

-23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.10 ฿37.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 €0.68

$0.71 ฿23.82

7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.49 ฿16.36

20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 €4.09

$4.14 ฿140

10.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.46 €4.89

$17.52 ฿591

-68.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.59

$1.61 ฿54.5

9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.87

$2.78 ฿93.9

15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.87 ฿29.30

59.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 €48.43

$54.1 ฿1,825

-0.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$1.16 ฿39.04

294.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

$0.53 ฿17.80

107.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.83 €15.07

$2.42 ฿81.7

595.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.45 ฿48.88

42.76%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

32.39%

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

$24.4K €21.8K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-9.55%

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

$168 €151

$62.2 ฿2,098

170.44%

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

$21.57 €19.32

$12.17 ฿411

77.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.22 €24.38

$20.12 ฿679

35.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €50.6

$37.31 ฿1,259

51.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.95 €22.34

$3.77 ฿127

561.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 €8.70

$6.49 ฿219

49.61%

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

$473 €423

$736 ฿24.8K

-35.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,792 €4,292

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-67.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 €72.2

$53.4 ฿1,801

51.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.70 €34.66

$24.64 ฿831

57.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 €71.7

$91.5 ฿3,087

-12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 €50.8

$71.9 ฿2,427

-21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 €432

$482 ฿16.3K

0.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 €350

$309 ฿10.4K

26.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 €654

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 €535

$633 ฿21.4K

-5.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,543 €2,278

$2,363 ฿79.7K

7.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,952 €1,748

$1,589 ฿53.6K

22.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 €633

$590 ฿19.9K

19.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

5.57

-21.36%

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

Last update for Argos: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Argos

$391 31.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 21.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Argos

$217 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 56.5% $122

Groceries & Markets

Argos

$214 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 9.4% $20

Eating Out

Argos

$171 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 54.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Argos

$115 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 5.7% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Argos

$76 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 33.8% $26

Getting Around

Argos

$70 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 12% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $483 in Argos 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 run about 20% higher in Argos, 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 $36 in Argos versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $214 in Argos vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Argos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Argos

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

13:02 1:02 PM

5 h ahead of Argos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,209

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Argos Chiang Mai 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Argos
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

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

Argos costs about 34% 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 $1,881 per month in Argos and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $483 in Argos and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Argos and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Argos – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,254 in Argos 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 $1,254 in Argos. 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, Argos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.