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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $951 in Necochea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,573 in Necochea, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,195 in Necochea, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 9% cheaper than Necochea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Necochea are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Necochea 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$10.42 ARS 14.9K

-81.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$34.22 ARS 48.9K

-45.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$9.09 ARS 13.0K

-14.74%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$2.80 ARS 3,994

-31.43%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$1.71 ARS 2,448

-53.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$1.49 ARS 2,125

-75.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.12 ARS 3,035

4.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.92 ARS 4,169

25.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.26 ARS 1,802

30.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.57 ARS 2,248

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$1.95 ARS 2,786

-38.97%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$2.24 ARS 3,201

-10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$10.29 ARS 14.7K

55.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$6.09 ARS 8,704

-50.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$9.62 ARS 13.7K

12.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.94 ARS 2,775

42.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$2.16 ARS 3,081

-45.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.26 ARS 1,794

30.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$2.60 ARS 3,718

-41.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$1.18 ARS 1,688

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$1.19 ARS 1,706

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$1.32 ARS 1,882

-46.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$1.50 ARS 2,148

-62.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$3.08 ARS 4,401

48.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$4.64 ARS 6,628

256.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$2.06 ARS 2,939

-11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$3.15 ARS 4,501

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.83 ARS 1,188

6.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.54 ARS 2,205

-11.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.93 ARS 1,330

44.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$5.96 ARS 8,514

31.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.06 ARS 1,516

16.04%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$27.7K ARS 39.6M

-22.07%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$30.7K ARS 43.8M

-26.48%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$66.9 ARS 95.5K

5.52%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$17.10 ARS 24.4K

-20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$22.61 ARS 32.3K

-22.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$25.81 ARS 36.9K

60.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$13.64 ARS 19.5K

-48.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$6.39 ARS 9,122

-9.70%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$222 ARS 316.9K

38.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$2,699 ARS 3.9M

441.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$73.4 ARS 104.8K

-23.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$70.0 ARS 100.0K

-62.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$117 ARS 167.1K

-26.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$113 ARS 160.8K

-35.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$332 ARS 474.2K

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$242 ARS 345.3K

-1.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$674 ARS 963.1K

21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$533 ARS 761.5K

-4.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$2,288 ARS 3.3M

-13.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Necochea: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $332 in Necochea. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Necochea. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Chiang Mai vs $231 in Necochea – so Necochea 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 Necochea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Necochea costs about 9% 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,426 in Necochea. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $34.00 in Necochea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Necochea – 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 $869 in Chiang Mai and $951 in Necochea, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $951 in Necochea. 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, Necochea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.