Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and San Juan, Argentina

Name: San Juan
Address: San Juan, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $891 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $540 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in San Juan

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $891 in San Juan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
San Juan $891

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,398 in San Juan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
San Juan $1,398

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,904 in San Juan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
San Juan $1,904

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and San Juan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, San Juan 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$7.16 ARS 11.0K

-68.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$39.73 ARS 61.1K

-52.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$12.51 ARS 19.2K

-55.64%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.62 ARS 4,030

-36.26%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.19 ARS 3,365

-70.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.82 ARS 2,797

-82.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.96 ARS 6,094

-40.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.56 ARS 7,011

-19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.35 ARS 2,075

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.38 ARS 2,122

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.39 ARS 2,138

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.45 ARS 2,227

57.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$2.90 ARS 4,463

467.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.37 ARS 9,800

-56.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.75 ARS 16.5K

-13.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.45 ARS 2,228

62.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.38 ARS 2,123

-29.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.37 ARS 2,103

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.45 ARS 2,224

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.46 ARS 2,244

-12.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.38 ARS 2,127

-20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.39 ARS 2,138

-48.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.46 ARS 2,241

-66.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.69 ARS 4,138

53.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$4.95 ARS 7,616

253.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.46 ARS 2,241

10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.43 ARS 2,205

94.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.04 ARS 1,596

-16.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.03 ARS 3,126

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.97 ARS 1,494

-45.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.04 ARS 7,758

-51.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.13 ARS 1,742

28.32%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$26.8K ARS 41.2M

-21.36%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$33.6K ARS 51.7M

-19.89%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$141 ARS 216.9K

-55.91%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.91 ARS 15.2K

22.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$17.96 ARS 27.6K

12.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$29.64 ARS 45.6K

25.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.96 ARS 10.7K

-6.75%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$173 ARS 266.4K

325.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,149 ARS 6.4M

255.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$108 ARS 165.5K

-50.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$42.19 ARS 64.9K

-41.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$56.8 ARS 87.4K

61.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$36.24 ARS 55.7K

98.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$248 ARS 380.9K

94.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$198 ARS 303.9K

56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$500 ARS 769.5K

101.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$408 ARS 627.1K

55.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$696 ARS 1.1M

-15.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-89.69%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

San Juan

$198 22.2% 36% $111

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

San Juan

$190 21.3% 19% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

San Juan

$109 12.3% 0.6% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

San Juan

$169 19% 78.8% $74

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

San Juan

$171 19.2% 121% $94

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

San Juan

$11 * 1.2% 82% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

San Juan

$44 4.9% 13.4% $6.7

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 $248 in San Juan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in San Juan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $40 in San Juan. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $190 in San Juan – so San Juan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

10:06 10:06 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

522,029

💱 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 = 37.58 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai San Juan 18,120 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,337 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $40 in San Juan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $891 in San Juan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.