Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nueve de Julio Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nueve de Julio

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $950 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,354 in Nueve de Julio, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,430 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,269 in Nueve de Julio, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,184 in Nueve de Julio, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 30% cheaper than Nueve de Julio, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Nueve de Julio are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nueve de Julio 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$19.12 ARS 28.8K

-89.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$69.9 ARS 105.5K

-71.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$12.77 ARS 19.3K

-54.66%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$3.81 ARS 5,740

-51.97%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$2.15 ARS 3,248

-63.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$1.73 ARS 2,605

-82.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$3.65 ARS 5,505

-35.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$4.58 ARS 6,902

-19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$1.05 ARS 1,584

93.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$2.50 ARS 3,772

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$1.58 ARS 2,381

-10.13%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$1.22 ARS 1,842

78.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$10.44 ARS 15.7K

52.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$10.04 ARS 15.1K

-69.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

$14.07 ARS 21.2K

-29.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$2.89 ARS 4,366

-9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$2.11 ARS 3,179

-47.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$1.41 ARS 2,127

15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$2.14 ARS 3,229

-28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$1.17 ARS 1,767

5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$1.19 ARS 1,798

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$1.02 ARS 1,545

-27.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$1.02 ARS 1,539

-50.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$1.02 ARS 1,537

319.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$5.61 ARS 8,470

220.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.45 ARS 2,187

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$2.03 ARS 3,068

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.98 ARS 1,472

-4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$1.61 ARS 2,434

-23.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.97 ARS 1,468

-45.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$7.68 ARS 11.6K

-68.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.40 ARS 2,116

2.86%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$28.7K ARS 43.3M

-26.19%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$33.6K ARS 50.6M

-18.63%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$202 ARS 304.8K

-67.87%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$23.62 ARS 35.6K

-43.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$31.60 ARS 47.7K

-34.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$30.85 ARS 46.5K

31.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$11.29 ARS 17.0K

-40.57%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$295 ARS 444.4K

167.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$9,046 ARS 13.6M

67.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$114 ARS 171.6K

-50.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$92.8 ARS 140.0K

-73.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$118 ARS 178.5K

-21.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$134 ARS 202.7K

-44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$485 ARS 732.2K

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$302 ARS 455.9K

-4.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$991 ARS 1.5M

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$760 ARS 1.1M

-30.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$2,384 ARS 3.6M

-16.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nueve de Julio: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Chiang Mai versus $485 in Nueve de Julio. 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 $70.0 in Nueve de Julio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $259 – 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 Nueve de Julio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nueve de Julio costs about 42% 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 $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,030 in Nueve de Julio. 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 $70.0 in Nueve de Julio. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Nueve de Julio, 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 $950, than in Nueve de Julio at $1,354. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nueve de Julio it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $950 versus $1,354 in Nueve de Julio. 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, Nueve de Julio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.