Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belem and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $877 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$877

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Belem versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Belem $877
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,329 in Belem versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Belem $1,329
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Belem versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Belem $1,781
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Belem costs roughly 6% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belem 36% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 R$25.08

$2.24 ฿75.6

108.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 R$98.2

$19.00 ฿641

-3.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 R$35.22

$5.55 ฿187

17.84%

Cappuccino

$1.72 R$9.28

$1.67 ฿56.5

2.99%

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

$0.99 R$5.34

$0.64 ฿21.55

54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 R$2.35

$0.31 ฿10.31

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 R$8.10

$2.36 ฿79.6

-36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 R$11.70

$3.66 ฿124

-40.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.92

$1.95 ฿65.8

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 R$12.54

$1.44 ฿48.48

61.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.70

$1.33 ฿45.04

-6.02%

Eggs

$1.98 R$10.67

$2.28 ฿77.1

-13.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 R$45.44

$16.45 ฿555

-48.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.16

$2.78 ฿93.9

48.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 R$39.00

$9.31 ฿314

-22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 R$12.05

$2.35 ฿79.4

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.12

$0.97 ฿32.80

36.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.48

$1.60 ฿53.9

-13.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.37

$1.50 ฿50.6

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.21

$1.28 ฿43.12

-24.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 R$2.89

$1.10 ฿37.19

-50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R$6.80

$0.71 ฿23.82

77.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$7.36

$0.49 ฿16.37

179.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 R$13.19

$4.14 ฿140

-40.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 R$50.2

$17.52 ฿591

-46.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$7.18

$1.61 ฿54.5

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 R$24.35

$2.78 ฿94.0

62.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.85

$0.87 ฿29.31

3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.93 R$172

$54.1 ฿1,826

-40.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.93

$1.16 ฿39.06

-5.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R$5.90

$0.53 ฿17.80

107.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 R$42.64

$2.42 ฿81.8

227.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 R$6.21

$1.45 ฿48.90

-20.69%

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

$21.8K R$117.5K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

3.65%

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

$30.0K R$161.6K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

11.44%

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

$93.5 R$503

$62.2 ฿2,098

50.41%

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

$10.82 R$58.3

$12.17 ฿411

-11.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 R$160

$20.12 ฿679

48.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.33 R$109

$37.31 ฿1,259

-45.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.96 R$199

$3.77 ฿127

880.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.15

$6.49 ฿219

14.95%

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

$104 R$561

$736 ฿24.8K

-85.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,250 R$17.5K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-77.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.81 R$166

$53.4 ฿1,801

-42.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.86 R$225

$24.64 ฿831

69.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$407

$91.5 ฿3,087

-17.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 R$330

$71.9 ฿2,428

-14.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 R$2,709

$482 ฿16.3K

4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 R$1,436

$309 ฿10.4K

-13.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 R$4,506

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 R$2,611

$633 ฿21.4K

-23.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 R$10.0K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-21.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,302 R$7,005

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$386 R$2,079

$590 ฿19.9K

-34.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.57

106.10%

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

Last update for Belem: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belem

$267 30.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 15.8% $42

Groceries & Markets

Belem

$209 23.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 12.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belem

$134 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 29.6% $40

Eating Out

Belem

$95 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 18.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Belem

$94 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 15.1% $14

Getting Around

Belem

$42 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 45.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Belem

$35 4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 42.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Belem and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Belem vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $234 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Belem

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

10 h ahead of Belem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,303,403

127,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Belem Chiang Mai 15,980 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Belem
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

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

Belem is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Belem. 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: $503 in Belem versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 41% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $104 in Belem versus $736 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Belem wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.