Cost of Living Comparison Between Quilmes and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Quilmes and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $888 per month in Quilmes vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,482 per month in Quilmes vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,075 per month in Quilmes vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quilmes costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Quilmes and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Quilmes 33% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 ARS 13.1K

$2.04 ฿68.4

329.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.08 ARS 45.0K

$18.71 ฿626

60.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ARS 13.4K

$7.86 ฿263

13.74%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ARS 2,566

$2.03 ฿67.9

-15.27%

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

$1.31 ARS 1,960

$0.80 ฿26.71

63.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ARS 1,704

$0.35 ฿11.71

225.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ARS 1,786

$2.14 ฿71.7

-44.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ARS 4,063

$3.67 ฿123

-25.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,903

$1.73 ฿57.8

-26.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ARS 2,388

$1.57 ฿52.5

1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ARS 2,684

$1.20 ฿40.10

50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ARS 3,362

$1.97 ฿66.0

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 ARS 19.9K

$16.23 ฿543

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 ARS 9,089

$3.06 ฿102

98.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ARS 15.5K

$10.80 ฿361

-4.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ARS 2,838

$2.77 ฿92.6

-31.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ARS 3,214

$1.17 ฿39.05

83.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ARS 1,497

$1.71 ฿57.1

-41.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ARS 3,882

$1.59 ฿53.3

63.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 ARS 1,688

$1.39 ฿46.63

-18.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ARS 2,046

$1.16 ฿38.67

18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ARS 1,293

$0.66 ฿22.11

30.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ARS 2,743

$0.52 ฿17.35

251.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ARS 5,234

$4.65 ฿155

-24.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.27 ARS 6,377

$17.78 ฿595

-75.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ARS 1,919

$1.79 ฿59.8

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ARS 4,684

$3.34 ฿112

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 ARS 1,177

$0.91 ฿30.35

-13.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ARS 3,695

$1.41 ฿47.17

75.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,383

$1.34 ฿44.82

-31.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 ARS 9,220

$8.11 ฿271

-23.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ARS 1,595

$1.23 ฿41.27

-13.01%

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

$24.4K ARS 36.5M

$21.4K ฿717.0K

13.82%

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

$25.6K ARS 38.3M

$21.8K ฿730.0K

17.28%

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

$56.3 ARS 84.1K

$71.3 ฿2,386

-21.11%

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

$18.53 ARS 27.7K

$14.01 ฿469

32.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.83 ARS 22.2K

$17.93 ฿600

-17.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.27 ARS 39.3K

$40.82 ฿1,365

-35.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 ARS 20.2K

$6.88 ฿230

96.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 ARS 7,627

$5.72 ฿191

-10.84%

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

$219 ARS 326.9K

$308 ฿10.3K

-29.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,087 ARS 1.6M

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-92.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 ARS 92.1K

$55.8 ฿1,865

10.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 ARS 91.2K

$26.04 ฿871

134.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ARS 160.6K

$84.8 ฿2,837

26.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ARS 142.8K

$71.0 ฿2,375

34.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ARS 502.1K

$423 ฿14.2K

-20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ARS 348.8K

$242 ฿8,110

-3.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 ARS 1.0M

$797 ฿26.7K

-15.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ARS 812.2K

$507 ฿17.0K

7.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,390 ARS 3.6M

$1,918 ฿64.2K

24.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,755 ARS 2.6M

$1,464 ฿49.0K

19.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,109 ARS 1.7M

$595 ฿19.9K

86.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

1900.00%

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

Last update for Quilmes: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $336 in Quilmes versus $423 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 86% higher in Quilmes, 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 $30.00 in Quilmes versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Quilmes vs $244 in Chiang Mai – so Quilmes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Quilmes vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quilmes costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,332 per month in Quilmes and $1,279 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 $30.00 in Quilmes 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 2% cheaper in Quilmes – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $888 in Quilmes and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $888 in Quilmes. 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, Quilmes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.