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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $972 in Concordia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,591 in Concordia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,211 in Concordia, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 11% cheaper than Concordia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Concordia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Concordia 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$10.60 ARS 15.7K

-81.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$33.86 ARS 50.0K

-45.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$9.02 ARS 13.3K

-17.07%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.77 ARS 4,094

-27.08%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$1.72 ARS 2,536

-50.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$1.56 ARS 2,300

-76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$2.17 ARS 3,202

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.97 ARS 4,386

20.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.30 ARS 1,918

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.55 ARS 2,295

1.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$1.93 ARS 2,856

-38.34%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$2.20 ARS 3,257

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$10.07 ARS 14.9K

60.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$6.14 ARS 9,077

-51.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$9.17 ARS 13.6K

19.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.00 ARS 2,958

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$2.09 ARS 3,089

-44.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.31 ARS 1,934

29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.54 ARS 3,747

-37.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.17 ARS 1,734

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$1.25 ARS 1,844

-4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$1.31 ARS 1,940

-48.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$1.48 ARS 2,195

-62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.15 ARS 4,660

47.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$5.16 ARS 7,630

241.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.07 ARS 3,057

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.13 ARS 4,628

5.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.77 ARS 1,136

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$1.53 ARS 2,268

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.87 ARS 1,288

54.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$6.10 ARS 9,023

34.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.07 ARS 1,577

14.02%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$27.2K ARS 40.2M

-21.47%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$30.1K ARS 44.5M

-25.20%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$66.1 ARS 97.7K

6.95%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$17.23 ARS 25.5K

-18.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$22.91 ARS 33.9K

-23.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$26.32 ARS 38.9K

60.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$13.54 ARS 20.0K

-49.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$6.24 ARS 9,225

-5.13%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$222 ARS 327.8K

39.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$2,686 ARS 4.0M

453.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$72.8 ARS 107.6K

-23.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$70.2 ARS 103.8K

-62.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$114 ARS 168.6K

-27.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$112 ARS 164.9K

-36.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$338 ARS 499.0K

27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$235 ARS 348.0K

1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$673 ARS 994.8K

22.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$537 ARS 793.4K

-4.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,966 ARS 2.9M

-2.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$1,698 ARS 2.5M

-13.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

-91.45%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Concordia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $338 in Concordia. 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Concordia. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $230 in Concordia – so Concordia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Concordia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Concordia costs about 13% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,457 in Concordia. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $34.00 in Concordia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Concordia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $972 in Concordia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $972 in Concordia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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