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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Atibaia versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Atibaia versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,059 in Atibaia versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Atibaia costs roughly 16% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atibaia 42% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.68 R$39.18

$2.08 ฿68.6

269.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.94 R$158

$19.64 ฿646

57.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 R$33.59

$5.65 ฿186

16.64%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R$11.14

$1.81 ฿59.4

20.44%

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

$1.34 R$6.82

$0.71 ฿23.45

88.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$0.32 ฿10.38

171.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.12

$2.24 ฿73.6

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 R$14.83

$3.63 ฿119

-19.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.43

$1.96 ฿64.4

-45.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 R$9.49

$1.50 ฿49.39

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.65

$1.34 ฿43.93

-2.99%

Eggs

$2.40 R$12.24

$2.26 ฿74.5

6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 R$52.7

$16.26 ฿535

-36.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 R$24.41

$2.95 ฿97.1

62.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 R$49.02

$9.94 ฿327

-3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 R$10.63

$2.57 ฿84.6

-18.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.06 ฿34.73

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.84

$1.61 ฿53.0

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$7.67

$1.52 ฿49.97

-1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.84

$1.27 ฿41.77

-9.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.52

$1.07 ฿35.06

19.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 R$4.72

$0.72 ฿23.68

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$4.02

$0.51 ฿16.72

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 R$11.98

$4.19 ฿138

-43.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 R$38.74

$17.87 ฿587

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R$6.88

$1.69 ฿55.7

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 R$9.82

$2.84 ฿93.3

-32.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.06

$0.93 ฿30.43

6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 R$7.42

$1.23 ฿40.59

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 R$8.03

$0.58 ฿18.96

172.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.49 R$89.2

$2.42 ฿79.7

622.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.39

$1.41 ฿46.43

-11.35%

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

$19.8K R$100.9K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

-7.72%

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

$30.7K R$156.7K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

12.42%

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

$78.6 R$401

$63.7 ฿2,093

23.40%

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

$12.01 R$61.2

$12.85 ฿423

-6.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$109

$20.22 ฿665

5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.92 R$117

$38.74 ฿1,274

-40.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.30 R$98.4

$3.97 ฿130

386.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 R$43.24

$6.74 ฿222

25.82%

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

$275 R$1,403

$778 ฿25.6K

-64.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,766 R$49.8K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-33.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 R$273

$54.3 ฿1,785

-1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 R$182

$25.45 ฿837

40.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 R$371

$94.3 ฿3,102

-22.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 R$292

$73.4 ฿2,415

-22.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 R$1,448

$490 ฿16.1K

-42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 R$987

$289 ฿9,512

-33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 R$4,871

$894 ฿29.4K

6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 R$3,455

$517 ฿17.0K

31.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,935 R$9,868

$1,955 ฿64.3K

-1.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,628 R$8,301

$1,477 ฿48.6K

10.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 R$2,482

$602 ฿19.8K

-19.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.79

5.57

129.62%

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

Last update for Atibaia: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Atibaia and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Atibaia vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $240, with Atibaia cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Atibaia and Chiang Mai differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($793 vs $947 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $284 in Atibaia versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Atibaia versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $793 in Atibaia versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atibaia but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Atibaia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Atibaia and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Atibaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.