Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,019 in La Plata, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in La Plata despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in La Plata
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La Plata Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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La Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,019

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Plata and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in La Plata and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,019 per month in La Plata vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Plata $1,019
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in La Plata vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Plata $1,757
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,495 per month in La Plata vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Plata $2,495
Chiang Mai $1,999

La Plata costs about 9% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both La Plata and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – La Plata 25% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 ARS 24.7K

$2.13 ฿71.6

649.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 ARS 78.0K

$18.62 ฿624

171.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 ARS 19.6K

$5.60 ฿188

126.96%

Cappuccino

$3.80 ARS 5,867

$1.66 ฿55.8

128.92%

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

$1.59 ARS 2,455

$0.65 ฿21.69

144.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ARS 1,346

$0.30 ฿10.22

190.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ARS 5,216

$2.32 ฿77.9

45.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ARS 4,603

$3.67 ฿123

-18.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ARS 1,661

$2.02 ฿67.6

-46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 ARS 3,362

$1.41 ฿47.21

54.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ARS 1,266

$1.39 ฿46.67

-41.01%

Eggs

$2.22 ARS 3,422

$2.37 ฿79.4

-6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 ARS 13.7K

$16.52 ฿554

-46.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ARS 8,348

$2.67 ฿89.5

102.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 ARS 14.2K

$9.02 ฿302

2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,067

$2.40 ฿80.4

-17.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ARS 3,000

$1.04 ฿34.91

86.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 ARS 1,093

$1.66 ฿55.6

-57.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,295

$1.56 ฿52.3

-4.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ARS 849

$1.24 ฿41.50

-55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ARS 1,001

$1.09 ฿36.44

-40.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,572

$0.76 ฿25.54

34.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ARS 1,554

$0.51 ฿17.24

98.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ARS 4,823

$4.12 ฿138

-24.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 ARS 7,386

$17.93 ฿601

-73.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ARS 3,207

$1.62 ฿54.4

28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ARS 4,187

$2.82 ฿94.6

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ARS 1,097

$0.93 ฿31.33

-23.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.52 ARS 6,975

$52.9 ฿1,773

-91.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ARS 2,381

$1.18 ฿39.45

30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ARS 1,046

$0.17 ฿5.75

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 ARS 11.7K

$1.81 ฿60.8

319.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ARS 1,790

$1.47 ฿49.38

-21.09%

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

$22.3K ARS 34.5M

$21.0K ฿704.5K

6.23%

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

$32.4K ARS 50.0M

$26.5K ฿889.1K

22.11%

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

$70.9 ARS 109.5K

$62.6 ฿2,098

13.32%

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

$10.86 ARS 16.8K

$11.60 ฿389

-6.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.69 ARS 36.6K

$20.30 ฿681

16.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.49 ARS 39.4K

$37.88 ฿1,270

-32.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.97 ARS 16.9K

$3.70 ฿124

196.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ARS 8,395

$6.51 ฿218

-16.44%

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

$138 ARS 212.8K

$727 ฿24.4K

-81.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,133 ARS 6.4M

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-75.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ARS 162.2K

$53.5 ฿1,795

96.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ARS 32.4K

$24.80 ฿832

-15.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ARS 148.4K

$90.4 ฿3,031

6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ARS 85.4K

$72.0 ฿2,413

-23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 ARS 635.8K

$481 ฿16.1K

-14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ARS 453.7K

$310 ฿10.4K

-5.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ARS 1.8M

$1,058 ฿35.5K

9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ARS 1.2M

$659 ฿22.1K

18.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 ARS 3.1M

$2,418 ฿81.1K

-18.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,177 ARS 1.8M

$1,609 ฿53.9K

-26.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$707 ARS 1.1M

$595 ฿19.9K

18.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

654.04%

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

Last update for La Plata: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Plata

$294 28.8%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 5.5% $16

Eating Out

La Plata

$244 24%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 68.6% $168

Groceries & Markets

La Plata

$202 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 17% $34

Clothing & Footwear

La Plata

$125 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 13.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Plata

$105 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 10.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

La Plata

$36 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 40% $15

Getting Around

La Plata

$12 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 378% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in La Plata versus $481 in Chiang Mai. 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 19% higher in La Plata. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in La Plata versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in La Plata vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so La Plata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 La Plata

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

20:42 8:42 PM

10 h ahead of La Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,144

127,240

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.76 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,544 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,735 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.76 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Plata Chiang Mai 17,120 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

La Plata
Chiang Mai

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

La Plata vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Plata costs about 9% 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 $1,529 per month in La Plata and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Plata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $412 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $138 per month in La Plata and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in La Plata – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,019 in La Plata and $935 in Chiang Mai. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,019 in La Plata. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Plata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.