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 $954 per month in Quilmes vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,568 per month in Quilmes vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,183 per month in Quilmes vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quilmes costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Quilmes and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Quilmes 30% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 ARS 8,688

$2.08 ฿69.4

175.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.51 ARS 53.8K

$19.61 ฿654

81.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 ARS 13.3K

$5.67 ฿189

54.85%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ARS 4,484

$1.81 ฿60.2

63.54%

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

$1.69 ARS 2,555

$0.77 ฿25.60

119.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ARS 2,576

$0.35 ฿11.50

385.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ARS 6,149

$2.21 ฿73.8

83.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ARS 3,367

$3.79 ฿126

-41.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,545

$2.05 ฿68.2

-50.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ARS 2,459

$1.51 ฿50.5

7.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,430

$1.40 ฿46.61

15.00%

Eggs

$2.27 ARS 3,439

$2.26 ฿75.2

0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 ARS 20.5K

$16.19 ฿540

-16.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 ARS 8,776

$2.90 ฿96.5

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.99 ARS 15.1K

$9.42 ฿314

6.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ARS 2,895

$2.68 ฿89.2

-28.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ARS 2,413

$1.09 ฿36.31

45.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 ARS 1,616

$1.62 ฿53.9

-33.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 ARS 3,727

$1.46 ฿48.66

68.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ARS 1,509

$1.28 ฿42.57

-21.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ARS 964

$1.06 ฿35.25

-39.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ARS 1,028

$0.72 ฿23.90

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ARS 1,041

$0.53 ฿17.53

30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ARS 7,474

$4.23 ฿141

16.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.18 ARS 6,327

$18.29 ฿610

-77.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ARS 1,837

$1.63 ฿54.3

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ARS 2,934

$2.90 ฿96.7

-33.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ARS 1,610

$0.88 ฿29.26

20.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,791

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ARS 2,407

$1.17 ฿39.07

35.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ARS 1,536

$0.58 ฿19.26

74.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ARS 1,722

$1.45 ฿48.32

-21.38%

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

$49.2K ARS 74.5M

$21.0K ฿700.1K

134.22%

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

$38.3K ARS 58.1M

$26.4K ฿880.5K

45.13%

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

$61.1 ARS 92.6K

$63.7 ฿2,121

-3.94%

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

$14.74 ARS 22.3K

$12.89 ฿430

14.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.26 ARS 33.7K

$20.52 ฿684

8.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.03 ARS 51.5K

$39.02 ฿1,300

-12.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 ARS 14.9K

$6.58 ฿219

49.09%

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

$258 ARS 390.2K

$784 ฿26.1K

-67.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 ARS 144.2K

$55.1 ฿1,836

72.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.38 ARS 52.0K

$24.74 ฿824

38.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 ARS 98.7K

$94.1 ฿3,136

-30.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 ARS 105.6K

$74.0 ฿2,464

-5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ARS 725.9K

$490 ฿16.3K

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ARS 491.5K

$288 ฿9,602

12.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 ARS 1.4M

$891 ฿29.7K

3.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 ARS 1.1M

$521 ฿17.4K

41.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 ARS 3.5M

$1,974 ฿65.8K

17.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,813 ARS 2.7M

$1,444 ฿48.1K

25.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ARS 1.6M

$602 ฿20.0K

79.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

5.57

1695.33%

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

Last update for Quilmes: September 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $479 in Quilmes versus $490 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 80% 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 $36.00 in Quilmes versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Quilmes vs $241 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 2% 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 $1,431 per month in Quilmes and $1,398 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 $36.00 in Quilmes and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Quilmes – 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 $932, than in Quilmes at $954. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quilmes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $932 versus $954 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.