Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Argostoli

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,378 in Argostoli, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Argostoli, Greece
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Argostoli
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,378
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Argostoli

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Argostoli actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,378 in Argostoli, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Argostoli $1,378

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,118 in Argostoli, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Argostoli $2,118

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,857 in Argostoli, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Argostoli $2,857

Chiang Mai is about 32% cheaper than Argostoli, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Argostoli is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿71.4
$11.14 €9.91
-80.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿623
$59.1 €52.6
-68.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿187
$9.00 €8.02
-37.78%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$4.18 €3.72
-60.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.63
$2.30 €2.05
-71.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.20
$0.54 €0.48
-44.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿77.7
$4.42 €3.93
-47.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿123
$4.37 €3.89
-16.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿67.4
$1.64 €1.46
23.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.08
$1.42 €1.26
-0.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.54
$2.56 €2.28
-45.70%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.2
$5.16 €4.59
-54.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿552
$12.41 €11.05
33.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿89.3
$9.89 €8.81
-73.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿302
$15.56 €13.85
-42.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.2
$2.13 €1.89
12.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿34.82
$2.15 €1.91
-51.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿55.5
$1.59 €1.42
4.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.1
$2.11 €1.88
-26.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.39
$1.10 €0.98
12.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.34
$1.16 €1.03
-6.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.47
$0.84 €0.75
-9.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.19
$1.21 €1.07
-57.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿138
$5.50 €4.89
-25.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿600
$7.25 €6.45
147.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.3
$1.78 €1.59
-8.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿94.4
$3.32 €2.96
-15.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.25
$1.39 €1.24
-33.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,769
$50.3 €44.80
5.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.35
$4.45 €3.96
-73.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.73
$1.09 €0.97
-84.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿60.6
$16.77 €14.94
-89.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.25
$2.17 €1.93
-32.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿702.6K
$27.6K €24.6K
-23.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿886.7K
$23.9K €21.3K
10.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,092
$171 €153
-63.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿388
$25.38 €22.60
-54.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿679
$27.29 €24.30
-25.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,267
$52.0 €46.30
-27.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿124
$25.13 €22.37
-85.28%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿218
$9.18 €8.18
-29.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.3K
$471 €419
54.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿554.2K
$4,821 €4,293
243.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,790
$83.4 €74.3
-35.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿829
$39.06 €34.78
-36.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,023
$79.9 €71.1
13.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,407
$109 €97.3
-34.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.1K
$486 €432
-0.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.4K
$381 €339
-18.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.4K
$723 €644
46.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.0K
$605 €539
8.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿80.8K
$2,488 €2,215
-2.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿53.8K
$1,964 €1,748
-18.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Argostoli
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.38
27.17%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Argostoli: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Argostoli
$381 22.8% $71
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Argostoli
$289 22% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Argostoli
$140 29.5% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Argostoli
$224 137% $130
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Argostoli
$208 172% $132
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Argostoli
$66 12.1% $7.1
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Argostoli
$70 38.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $486 in Argostoli. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $59 in Argostoli. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $289 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇬🇷 Argostoli
🕒 Local time
23:04 11:04 PM
18:04 6:04 PM
5 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
10,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Argostoli 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Argostoli

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
Chiang Mai vs Argostoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Argostoli?
Yes – Argostoli is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,067 in Argostoli. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Chiang Mai and Argostoli?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $486 in Argostoli. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do food prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Argostoli?
Groceries cost about 22% more in Argostoli, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Chiang Mai or in Argostoli?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $59 in Argostoli. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Chiang Mai or in Argostoli?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,378 in Argostoli. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is safer, Chiang Mai or Argostoli?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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