Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Buenos Aires $1,646
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Buenos Aires $2,680
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Buenos Aires $3,714
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 78% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 21% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

$2.29 ฿76.5

677.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

$19.64 ฿656

231.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

$5.61 ฿188

133.87%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ARS 5,863

$1.66 ฿55.6

132.53%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,133

$0.70 ฿23.40

194.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ARS 2,542

$0.31 ฿10.24

441.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ARS 6,218

$2.41 ฿80.4

70.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 ARS 7,181

$3.71 ฿124

27.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ARS 2,285

$1.95 ฿65.3

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ARS 3,950

$1.41 ฿47.03

84.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ARS 2,380

$1.31 ฿43.62

19.85%

Eggs

$2.73 ARS 4,144

$2.18 ฿72.9

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

$16.65 ฿556

-34.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$2.76 ฿92.2

264.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

$9.11 ฿304

45.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ARS 4,255

$2.39 ฿80.0

17.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,170

$1.03 ฿34.26

102.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,194

$1.63 ฿54.4

-11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,040

$1.50 ฿50.0

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,826

$1.29 ฿43.13

-6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,821

$1.11 ฿37.03

8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ARS 2,569

$0.72 ฿24.08

134.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,711

$0.53 ฿17.59

237.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ARS 6,074

$4.31 ฿144

-7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 ARS 8,388

$17.95 ฿600

-69.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ARS 3,219

$1.58 ฿52.9

34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ARS 4,212

$2.84 ฿95.0

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ARS 1,049

$0.86 ฿28.86

-19.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-47.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,471

$1.21 ฿40.29

34.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,478

$0.57 ฿18.99

70.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

$2.35 ฿78.6

235.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,156

$1.44 ฿47.96

-1.39%

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

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

12.58%

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

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

19.18%

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

$199 ARS 302.7K

$62.3 ฿2,083

219.99%

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

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

$12.11 ฿405

92.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

$19.94 ฿666

57.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

$37.07 ฿1,239

34.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

$3.78 ฿126

339.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

$6.50 ฿217

66.15%

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

$462 ARS 701.7K

$793 ฿26.5K

-41.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-40.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.6K

$53.7 ฿1,796

122.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

$24.62 ฿823

284.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 176.4K

$90.9 ฿3,036

27.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 208.6K

$71.1 ฿2,378

93.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ARS 1.1M

$455 ฿15.2K

64.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 780.5K

$298 ฿9,954

72.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

$908 ฿30.4K

72.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

$554 ฿18.5K

115.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

36.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

29.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$591 ฿19.7K

56.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

5.57

927.83%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 42.1% $216

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 17.3% $49

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 71.2% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 62.9% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 48.6% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 29.9% $21

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 63.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Buenos Aires and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

22:41 10:41 PM

10 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Chiang Mai 17,180 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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

Buenos Aires vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Chiang Mai differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $925 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $750 in Buenos Aires versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Buenos Aires versus $793 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.