Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and San Martin de los Andes

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
61

Cost of Living Index in San Martin de los Andes
Learn more

San Martin de los Andes Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

San Martin de los Andes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,264

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in San Martin de los Andes

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 Martin de los Andes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
San Martin de los Andes $1,264

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,136 in San Martin de los Andes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
San Martin de los Andes $2,136

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,007 in San Martin de los Andes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
San Martin de los Andes $3,007

Chiang Mai is about 26% cheaper than San Martin de los Andes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and San Martin de los Andes are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, San Martin de los Andes 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$18.03 ARS 27.8K

-87.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$57.1 ARS 88.1K

-66.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$13.84 ARS 21.3K

-59.90%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$3.30 ARS 5,091

-49.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.97 ARS 3,041

-67.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$2.02 ARS 3,122

-84.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.44 ARS 5,309

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$4.66 ARS 7,191

-21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.42 ARS 2,183

37.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$2.37 ARS 3,656

-39.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.98 ARS 3,048

-32.83%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.92 ARS 4,506

-21.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$10.62 ARS 16.4K

54.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$7.95 ARS 12.3K

-65.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.95 ARS 15.3K

-6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.13 ARS 3,291

10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$2.31 ARS 3,568

-58.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.49 ARS 2,296

7.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.48 ARS 3,815

-39.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.17 ARS 1,797

9.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.11 ARS 1,706

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$1.44 ARS 2,220

-65.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.44 ARS 5,303

20.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$5.39 ARS 8,314

225.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$2.13 ARS 3,279

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.03 ARS 4,670

-8.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.93 ARS 1,433

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.58 ARS 2,429

-26.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.22 ARS 1,876

18.85%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$27.5K ARS 42.4M

-23.36%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$30.9K ARS 47.7M

-12.95%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$134 ARS 206.8K

-53.66%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$15.99 ARS 24.7K

-23.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$27.53 ARS 42.4K

-26.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$31.26 ARS 48.2K

19.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.28 ARS 29.7K

-80.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.74 ARS 13.5K

-25.74%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$239 ARS 368.6K

207.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$4,149 ARS 6.4M

255.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$106 ARS 163.7K

-49.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$85.5 ARS 131.8K

-71.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$126 ARS 194.9K

-27.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$130 ARS 200.6K

-44.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$465 ARS 717.2K

3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$311 ARS 479.0K

-0.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,006 ARS 1.6M

0.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$823 ARS 1.3M

-23.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,249 ARS 1.9M

27.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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 Martin de los Andes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

San Martin de los Andes

$311 24.6% 0.6% $1.8

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

San Martin de los Andes

$252 * 20% 7.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

San Martin de los Andes

$202 16% 85.7% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

San Martin de los Andes

$178 14.1% 88.1% $83

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

San Martin de los Andes

$268 21.2% 245% $190

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

San Martin de los Andes

$5.3 * 0.4% 91.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

San Martin de los Andes

$49 3.9% 3.1% $1.6

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 $465 in San Martin de los Andes. 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 $57 in San Martin de los Andes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $252 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇷 San Martin de los Andes

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

01:51 1:51 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

36,913

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.83 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,541 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,716 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.83 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai San Martin de los Andes 17,470 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
San Martin de los Andes

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 Martin de los Andes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Martin de los Andes costs about 35% 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 $1,897 in San Martin de los Andes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $465 in San Martin de los Andes. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $57 in San Martin de los Andes. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in San Martin de los Andes, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes. 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 $1,264 in San Martin de los Andes. 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.