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 $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,170 in Concordia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,003 in Concordia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,837 in Concordia, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 19% cheaper than Concordia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Concordia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Concordia 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$15.73 ARS 23.7K

-86.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$53.4 ARS 80.5K

-63.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$12.34 ARS 18.6K

-54.21%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$3.89 ARS 5,872

-53.47%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$2.13 ARS 3,217

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$1.73 ARS 2,611

-81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$3.71 ARS 5,595

-39.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.23 ARS 4,876

12.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.28 ARS 1,938

53.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$2.09 ARS 3,147

-28.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$1.38 ARS 2,083

-2.90%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$2.35 ARS 3,551

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$9.95 ARS 15.0K

63.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$6.86 ARS 10.3K

-57.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$11.65 ARS 17.6K

-14.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$2.50 ARS 3,776

2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$2.51 ARS 3,784

-57.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.24 ARS 1,869

29.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$1.89 ARS 2,850

-19.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$1.20 ARS 1,808

5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$1.04 ARS 1,566

2.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$1.52 ARS 2,296

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$1.53 ARS 2,303

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.36 ARS 5,066

24.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$4.26 ARS 6,431

319.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$2.19 ARS 3,301

-22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$3.11 ARS 4,685

-8.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.95 ARS 1,427

-2.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.52 ARS 2,291

-19.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.93 ARS 1,401

-37.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$7.80 ARS 11.8K

-68.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.28 ARS 1,933

10.16%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$27.7K ARS 41.8M

-22.68%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$34.1K ARS 51.4M

-19.86%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$83.9 ARS 126.5K

-24.08%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$16.75 ARS 25.3K

-23.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$30.22 ARS 45.6K

-33.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$31.09 ARS 46.9K

24.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$9.58 ARS 14.4K

-29.65%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$342 ARS 516.1K

127.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$3,683 ARS 5.6M

296.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$103 ARS 155.3K

-47.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$77.2 ARS 116.4K

-67.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$127 ARS 191.0K

-25.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$108 ARS 163.0K

-32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$450 ARS 678.0K

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$265 ARS 399.3K

9.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$924 ARS 1.4M

-3.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$800 ARS 1.2M

-35.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$2,469 ARS 3.7M

-20.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

56.56

-90.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Concordia: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $450 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $53.0 in Concordia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $245 – 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

Chiang Mai vs Concordia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Concordia costs about 23% 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 $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,755 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $53.0 in Concordia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Concordia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Concordia at $1,170. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Concordia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,170 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.