Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mar del Plata and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,038 in Mar del Plata, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,038

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mar del 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 Mar del Plata and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,038 per month in Mar del Plata vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mar del Plata $1,038
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $1,787 per month in Mar del Plata vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mar del Plata $1,787
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $2,536 per month in Mar del Plata vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mar del Plata $2,536
Chiang Mai $1,864

Mar del Plata costs about 15% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mar del Plata and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mar del Plata 23% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

$2.13 ฿71.7

826.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 ARS 91.4K

$19.40 ฿652

210.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$5.47 ฿184

128.88%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ARS 4,741

$1.68 ฿56.7

86.31%

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

$2.51 ARS 3,812

$0.66 ฿22.19

280.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ARS 3,070

$0.34 ฿11.56

497.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ARS 6,149

$2.42 ฿81.3

67.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,584

$3.73 ฿126

-19.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ARS 1,634

$2.06 ฿69.2

-47.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 ARS 3,329

$1.46 ฿48.98

50.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ARS 4,784

$1.35 ฿45.27

134.07%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,573

$2.27 ฿76.3

3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 ARS 8,882

$16.31 ฿548

-64.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 ARS 10.1K

$2.70 ฿90.7

146.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

$9.20 ฿309

36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ARS 5,028

$2.39 ฿80.5

38.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 ARS 3,685

$1.04 ฿34.80

133.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,241

$1.60 ฿53.9

-7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 3,114

$1.44 ฿48.57

42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ARS 1,532

$1.11 ฿37.45

-9.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.65

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 ARS 5,461

$4.13 ฿139

-12.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.94 ARS 4,455

$17.78 ฿598

-83.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ARS 1,954

$0.86 ฿28.88

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,787

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.22 ฿40.99

33.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ARS 967

$0.56 ฿18.89

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 ARS 9,704

$2.31 ฿77.8

177.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,063

$1.50 ฿50.4

-9.33%

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

$20.9K ฿701.2K

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

$26.7K ฿898.8K

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

$79.0 ARS 119.8K

$61.3 ฿2,059

28.97%

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

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

$12.50 ฿420

-34.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ARS 45.6K

$20.36 ฿685

47.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.31 ARS 47.5K

$37.94 ฿1,275

-17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

$6.60 ฿222

52.58%

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

$304 ARS 460.3K

$774 ฿26.0K

-60.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿485.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 ARS 133.0K

$54.8 ฿1,842

60.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿849

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ARS 184.2K

$90.6 ฿3,045

34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

$73.3 ฿2,463

-25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ARS 497.0K

$459 ฿15.4K

-28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ARS 383.8K

$294 ฿9,877

-13.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ARS 1.2M

$919 ฿30.9K

-12.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ARS 992.0K

$552 ฿18.6K

18.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 ARS 925.2K

$592 ฿19.9K

3.03%

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 Mar del Plata: October 4, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Mar del Plata

$278 27%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 72.2% $200

Accommodation & Living

Mar del Plata

$253 24.7%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 16.1% $41

Groceries & Markets

Mar del Plata

$198 * 19.3%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 18.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Mar del Plata

$119 * 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 7.6% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mar del Plata

$117 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 19.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Mar del Plata

$51 5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 0.6% $0.3

Getting Around

Mar del Plata

$10 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 508% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Mar del Plata versus $459 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 3% higher in Mar del Plata, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Mar del Plata versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Mar del Plata vs $236 in Chiang Mai – so Mar del Plata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

13:45 1:45 PM

10 h ahead of Mar del Plata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,337

127,240

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mar del Plata Chiang Mai 16,900 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Mar del 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

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

Mar del Plata costs about 15% 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 $1,557 per month in Mar del Plata and $1,359 in Chiang Mai. 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 $60.0 in Mar del Plata and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Mar del Plata – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Mar del Plata at $1,038. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mar del Plata it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata. 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, Mar del Plata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.