Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Artigas

For one person, living is cheaper in Artigas: $46.81 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Artigas

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$46.81

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Artigas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $47 in Artigas.

Chiang Mai $935
Artigas $47

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $70 in Artigas.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Artigas $70

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $94 in Artigas.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Artigas $94

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 1898% more expensive than in Artigas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Artigas 97% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.2

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿622

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.5

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

$0.65 ฿21.59

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.3

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.00

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.46

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.0

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿551

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.1

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿301

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.76

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.4

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.31

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.27

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.43

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿598

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,766

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.16

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

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

$26.5K ฿885.1K

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

$62.6 ฿2,088

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

$11.60 ฿387

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿678

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,264

$29.71 UYU 1,196

27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿123

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿217

$8.55 UYU 344

-23.86%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿553.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,787

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿828

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,017

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,402

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Artigas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Artigas

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Artigas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Artigas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Artigas

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Artigas

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Artigas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Artigas

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇾 Artigas

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

11:50 11:50 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

40,658

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 UYU = 2.48 USD

100 UYU = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 40.26 UYU (100 UYU = 2.48 USD). 1 EUR = 45.24 UYU (100 UYU = 2.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Artigas 17,230 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Artigas

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 Artigas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Artigas wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Artigas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $70 in Artigas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

At $47 in Artigas versus $935 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Artigas but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Artigas 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.