Cost of Living Comparison Between Argostoli and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Argostoli and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,398 per month in Argostoli vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,169 per month in Argostoli vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Argostoli vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Argostoli costs about 50% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Argostoli sits 2% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 €10.00

$2.08 ฿69.5

451.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 €56.4

$19.61 ฿655

229.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.90

$5.67 ฿189

59.79%

Cappuccino

$4.05 €3.53

$1.81 ฿60.3

123.76%

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

$2.31 €2.01

$0.77 ฿25.65

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$0.35 ฿11.53

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 €3.91

$2.21 ฿73.9

103.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.93

$3.79 ฿127

19.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.44

$2.05 ฿68.4

-19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.51 ฿50.6

0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.07

$1.40 ฿46.69

70.00%

Eggs

$5.14 €4.48

$2.26 ฿75.4

127.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 €10.30

$16.19 ฿540

-27.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 €8.68

$2.90 ฿96.7

243.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 €12.78

$9.42 ฿314

55.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.03

$2.68 ฿89.4

-13.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.09 ฿36.37

104.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.62 ฿54.0

8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.46 ฿48.74

39.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 €1.00

$1.28 ฿42.65

-10.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.06 ฿35.31

22.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 €0.76

$0.72 ฿23.94

20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.53 ฿17.56

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 €4.61

$4.23 ฿141

25.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.00

$18.29 ฿611

-62.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.63 ฿54.4

3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.90 ฿96.8

17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 €1.15

$0.88 ฿29.32

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.50 €37.05

$53.8 ฿1,795

-20.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.11

$1.17 ฿39.14

303.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.00

$0.58 ฿19.30

96.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.48 €12.62

$2.39 ฿79.6

505.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.45 ฿48.41

53.10%

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

$28.4K €24.7K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

35.03%

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

$24.2K €21.1K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

-8.41%

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

$167 €145

$63.7 ฿2,125

162.17%

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

$24.58 €21.43

$12.89 ฿430

90.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 €25.96

$20.52 ฿685

45.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 €46.15

$39.02 ฿1,302

35.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.56 €22.28

$3.92 ฿131

552.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 €7.97

$6.58 ฿220

39.06%

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

$493 €430

$784 ฿26.2K

-37.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,652 €4,055

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-68.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 €62.4

$55.1 ฿1,840

29.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 €31.63

$24.74 ฿826

46.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 €70.0

$94.1 ฿3,142

-14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.3

$74.0 ฿2,469

47.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 €501

$490 ฿16.4K

17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 €359

$288 ฿9,620

42.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 €657

$891 ฿29.8K

-15.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 €545

$521 ฿17.4K

19.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 €2,367

$1,974 ฿65.9K

37.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 €1,996

$1,444 ฿48.2K

58.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.36

5.57

-21.72%

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

Last update for Argostoli: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $575 in Argostoli versus $490 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Argostoli versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $241 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Argostoli is pricier by about 50%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,097 per month in Argostoli and $1,398 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.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Argostoli, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Argostoli and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Argostoli at $1,398. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Argostoli it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Argostoli makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.