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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $976 per month in Ushuaia vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,579 per month in Ushuaia vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,183 per month in Ushuaia vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ushuaia costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ushuaia and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ushuaia 27% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 ARS 15.6K

$2.04 ฿68.2

413.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.37 ARS 49.5K

$18.71 ฿624

78.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 ARS 13.6K

$7.86 ฿262

16.67%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ARS 4,017

$2.03 ฿67.7

33.50%

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

$1.64 ARS 2,430

$0.80 ฿26.64

105.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ARS 2,319

$0.35 ฿11.68

345.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ARS 3,170

$2.14 ฿71.5

-0.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,349

$3.67 ฿122

-20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ARS 1,844

$1.73 ฿57.6

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ARS 2,329

$1.57 ฿52.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 2,937

$1.20 ฿39.99

65.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ARS 3,334

$1.97 ฿65.8

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 ARS 15.0K

$16.23 ฿541

-37.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 ARS 9,034

$3.06 ฿102

98.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 ARS 14.0K

$10.80 ฿360

-12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ARS 2,926

$2.77 ฿92.3

-28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 3,069

$1.17 ฿38.94

76.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ARS 1,894

$1.71 ฿57.0

-25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 ARS 3,875

$1.59 ฿53.2

64.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,774

$1.39 ฿46.51

-14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ARS 1,833

$1.16 ฿38.56

6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ARS 1,877

$0.66 ฿22.05

90.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ARS 2,104

$0.52 ฿17.31

173.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ARS 4,742

$4.65 ฿155

-31.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 ARS 7,370

$17.78 ฿593

-72.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ARS 3,039

$1.79 ฿59.6

14.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ARS 4,715

$3.34 ฿111

-5.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 ARS 1,165

$0.91 ฿30.27

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ARS 2,247

$1.41 ฿47.04

7.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,345

$1.34 ฿44.70

-32.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 ARS 8,667

$8.11 ฿270

-27.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ARS 1,635

$1.23 ฿41.16

-10.57%

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

$26.9K ARS 40.0M

$21.4K ฿715.1K

25.60%

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

$30.2K ARS 44.9M

$21.8K ฿728.0K

38.49%

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

$67.6 ARS 100.4K

$71.3 ฿2,379

-5.23%

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

$17.03 ARS 25.3K

$14.01 ฿467

21.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.46 ARS 33.4K

$17.93 ฿598

25.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.56 ARS 39.4K

$40.82 ฿1,362

-34.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.53 ARS 20.1K

$6.88 ฿230

96.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.35 ARS 9,426

$5.72 ฿191

11.01%

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

$223 ARS 331.3K

$308 ฿10.3K

-27.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,665 ARS 4.0M

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-81.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ARS 107.7K

$55.8 ฿1,860

30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.7 ARS 103.5K

$26.04 ฿869

167.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 174.0K

$84.8 ฿2,829

38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ARS 166.8K

$71.0 ฿2,368

58.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 ARS 493.9K

$423 ฿14.1K

-21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ARS 356.0K

$242 ฿8,088

-1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 ARS 1.0M

$797 ฿26.6K

-14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 ARS 811.3K

$507 ฿16.9K

7.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,857 ARS 2.8M

$1,918 ฿64.0K

-3.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,610 ARS 2.4M

$1,464 ฿48.8K

9.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

1070.00%

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

Last update for Ushuaia: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Ushuaia 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Ushuaia versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Ushuaia vs $244 in Chiang Mai – so Ushuaia 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

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

Ushuaia costs about 14% 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 $1,463 per month in Ushuaia 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 $33.00 in Ushuaia 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 7% cheaper in Ushuaia – 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 $976 in Ushuaia 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 $976 in Ushuaia. 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, Ushuaia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.