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 $1,388 per month in Argostoli vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,099 per month in Argostoli vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,809 per month in Argostoli vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Argostoli costs about 60% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Argostoli sits 3% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 €10.00

$1.98 ฿64.3

486.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 €47.44

$18.80 ฿612

192.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 €7.55

$7.75 ฿252

13.16%

Cappuccino

$3.75 €3.23

$1.92 ฿62.5

95.31%

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

$1.58 €1.36

$0.79 ฿25.79

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$0.36 ฿11.62

63.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.21 ฿72.1

108.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.90

$3.66 ฿119

23.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.65 ฿53.8

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.63 ฿53.2

-18.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.19 ฿38.86

87.39%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.59

$2.00 ฿65.1

108.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 €9.53

$15.98 ฿520

-30.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 €7.55

$3.03 ฿98.5

189.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 €12.19

$10.86 ฿354

30.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.76 ฿90.0

-19.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$1.18 ฿38.42

120.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.64 ฿53.5

3.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.23

$1.52 ฿49.51

69.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.38 ฿45.10

-10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.19 ฿38.84

9.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 €0.82

$0.70 ฿22.86

35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$0.56 ฿18.13

117.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 €5.18

$4.58 ฿149

31.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 €5.62

$16.56 ฿539

-60.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.03

$1.83 ฿59.5

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.15

$3.20 ฿104

14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 €1.32

$0.88 ฿28.56

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.02 €40.51

$18.72 ฿610

151.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.57

$1.36 ฿44.16

204.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.34 ฿43.65

-20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.72 €10.10

$7.84 ฿256

49.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.85

$1.23 ฿39.92

73.98%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

49.73%

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

$24.6K €21.2K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

9.31%

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

$220 €189

$70.5 ฿2,298

211.62%

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

$21.88 €18.85

$13.68 ฿445

59.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.43 €27.94

$17.45 ฿568

85.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.37 €41.67

$41.33 ฿1,346

17.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.56 €22.88

$6.96 ฿227

281.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$5.77 ฿188

56.67%

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

$525 €452

$307 ฿10.0K

71.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,420 €5,531

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-56.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 €55.0

$55.8 ฿1,817

14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 €27.63

$26.21 ฿854

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 €59.0

$85.8 ฿2,793

-20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.1

$72.2 ฿2,353

46.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 €429

$430 ฿14.0K

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 €338

$239 ฿7,774

64.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €660

$817 ฿26.6K

-6.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 €524

$511 ฿16.6K

18.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,015 €2,597

$1,983 ฿64.6K

52.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,456 €2,116

$1,484 ฿48.3K

65.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

-11.60%

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

Last update for Argostoli: June 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $498 in Argostoli versus $430 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 $55.0 in Argostoli versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 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 60%, 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 $2,083 per month in Argostoli and $1,303 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 15% 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 $55.0 in Argostoli and $19.00 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 $869, than in Argostoli at $1,388. 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.