Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: San Rafael
Address: San Rafael, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,357 in San Rafael, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
65

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,357

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,357 in San Rafael, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
San Rafael $1,357

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,260 in San Rafael, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
San Rafael $2,260

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,163 in San Rafael, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
San Rafael $3,163

Chiang Mai is about 31% cheaper than San Rafael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$10.81 ARS 16.7K

-79.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$50.9 ARS 78.7K

-62.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$14.80 ARS 22.9K

-62.50%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$4.47 ARS 6,901

-62.64%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$2.42 ARS 3,738

-73.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.95 ARS 3,013

-84.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$4.09 ARS 6,324

-42.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$4.38 ARS 6,761

-16.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.33 ARS 2,056

46.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$2.21 ARS 3,418

-34.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$2.76 ARS 4,262

-51.81%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.24 ARS 5,000

-29.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$14.53 ARS 22.4K

13.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.42 ARS 9,917

-56.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.09 ARS 17.1K

-16.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.36 ARS 3,640

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$2.15 ARS 3,326

-54.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.29 ARS 1,998

24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.18 ARS 4,913

-52.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.93 ARS 2,976

-33.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.52 ARS 2,350

-27.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$2.01 ARS 3,106

-64.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$2.44 ARS 3,765

-79.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.71 ARS 4,192

52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$5.09 ARS 7,862

244.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.76 ARS 2,721

-8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.91 ARS 4,500

-4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$1.00 ARS 1,542

-13.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.97 ARS 3,037

-41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.99 ARS 1,523

-46.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$4.97 ARS 7,675

-51.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.27 ARS 1,955

14.17%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$27.1K ARS 41.9M

-22.28%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$33.0K ARS 50.9M

-18.25%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$146 ARS 225.1K

-57.32%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$17.12 ARS 26.4K

-28.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$23.87 ARS 36.9K

-15.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$29.97 ARS 46.3K

24.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.67 ARS 27.3K

-78.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.24 ARS 11.2K

-10.36%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$172 ARS 265.9K

327.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$4,098 ARS 6.3M

260.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$126 ARS 194.4K

-57.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$141 ARS 217.6K

-82.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$145 ARS 223.7K

-36.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$158 ARS 244.0K

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$545 ARS 842.3K

-11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$342 ARS 529.0K

-9.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,077 ARS 1.7M

-6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$900 ARS 1.4M

-29.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,277 ARS 2.0M

24.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-90.56%

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 Rafael: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

San Rafael

$342 25.2% 10.8% $33

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

San Rafael

$285 21% 21.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

San Rafael

$256 18.9% 136% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

San Rafael

$187 13.8% 97.6% $92

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

San Rafael

$231 17% 198% $154

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

San Rafael

$11 * 0.8% 82.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

San Rafael

$44 3.3% 11.6% $5.8

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 $545 in San Rafael. 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 $51 in San Rafael. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $285 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

02:48 2:48 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

118,850

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.77 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1,545 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,732 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai San Rafael 17,860 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
San Rafael

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Rafael costs about 45% 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 $2,035 in San Rafael. 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 $545 in San Rafael.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $51 in San Rafael. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in San Rafael, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,357 in San Rafael. 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 $1,357 in San Rafael. 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.