Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lanus

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,083 in Lanus, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Lanus
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Lanus Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Lanus

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,083 in Lanus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Lanus $1,083

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,867 in Lanus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Lanus $1,867

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,651 in Lanus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Lanus $2,651

Chiang Mai is about 14% cheaper than Lanus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Lanus are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Lanus 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$10.08 ARS 15.5K

-77.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$38.23 ARS 58.8K

-50.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$12.86 ARS 19.8K

-56.84%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.89 ARS 5,980

-57.07%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.05 ARS 3,152

-68.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.70 ARS 2,609

-81.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.94 ARS 6,059

-40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.29 ARS 3,518

59.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.29 ARS 1,990

51.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.63 ARS 4,045

-45.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.66 ARS 2,551

-19.88%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.53 ARS 3,899

-9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.90 ARS 10.6K

138.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$9.06 ARS 13.9K

-69.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.24 ARS 20.4K

-29.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.82 ARS 4,336

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.04 ARS 3,136

-52.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.05 ARS 1,620

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.76 ARS 2,713

-14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.93 ARS 1,430

37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.64 ARS 982

71.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.64 ARS 2,515

-56.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.72 ARS 2,646

-71.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.21 ARS 4,941

28.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$5.49 ARS 8,438

219.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.53 ARS 2,354

5.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.78 ARS 4,272

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.95 ARS 1,468

-8.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.63 ARS 2,513

-28.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.02 ARS 1,567

-48.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.14 ARS 12.5K

-70.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.10 ARS 1,688

31.82%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$23.8K ARS 36.6M

-11.42%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$30.3K ARS 46.6M

-11.09%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$60.8 ARS 93.5K

2.30%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$19.90 ARS 30.6K

-38.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$27.26 ARS 41.9K

-26.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$31.53 ARS 48.5K

18.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.01 ARS 29.2K

-80.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.83 ARS 7,434

34.37%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$232 ARS 357.4K

216.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,127 ARS 6.3M

257.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$36.34 ARS 55.9K

46.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$59.3 ARS 91.2K

-58.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$117 ARS 179.9K

-21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$102 ARS 156.8K

-29.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$582 ARS 895.1K

-17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$320 ARS 492.9K

-3.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,017 ARS 1.6M

-1.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$897 ARS 1.4M

-29.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,214 ARS 1.9M

30.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

57.25

-90.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lanus: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Lanus

$320 29.6% 3.7% $12

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Lanus

$257 23.7% 9.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Lanus

$142 13.1% 30.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Lanus

$108 10% 14.3% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Lanus

$205 18.9% 164% $128

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Lanus

$11 * 1% 82.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Lanus

$41 3.8% 18.1% $9.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $582 in Lanus. 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 $38 in Lanus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $257 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇷 Lanus

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

17:33 5:33 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

459,263

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,538 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,712 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Lanus 17,170 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lanus

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 Lanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanus costs about 16% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,625 in Lanus. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $582 in Lanus.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $38 in Lanus. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Lanus, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,083 in Lanus. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,083 in Lanus. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.