Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,532 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,115 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs are close between Belo Horizonte and Chiang Mai; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belo Horizonte 31% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 R$29.16

$2.08 ฿68.6

175.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.36 R$191

$19.64 ฿646

90.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.94

$5.65 ฿186

49.03%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.18

$1.81 ฿59.4

20.99%

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

$1.31 R$6.71

$0.71 ฿23.45

84.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.06

$0.32 ฿10.38

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.24

$2.24 ฿73.6

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$17.61

$3.63 ฿119

-4.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.96 ฿64.4

-51.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 R$8.99

$1.50 ฿49.39

17.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.20

$1.34 ฿43.93

49.25%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.91

$2.26 ฿74.5

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 R$47.02

$16.26 ฿535

-43.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 R$20.56

$2.95 ฿97.1

36.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 R$36.44

$9.94 ฿327

-28.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R$9.64

$2.57 ฿84.6

-26.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.73

$1.06 ฿34.73

5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.94

$1.61 ฿53.0

-27.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.82

$1.52 ฿49.97

0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.27 ฿41.77

-13.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.07

$1.07 ฿35.06

-7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$0.72 ฿23.68

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.51

$0.51 ฿16.72

72.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.15

$4.19 ฿138

-43.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 R$40.23

$17.87 ฿587

-55.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$6.78

$1.69 ฿55.7

-21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.48

$2.84 ฿93.3

-7.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 R$6.21

$0.93 ฿30.43

31.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 R$341

$53.9 ฿1,771

24.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.23 ฿40.59

-19.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.53

$0.58 ฿18.96

18.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 R$32.64

$2.42 ฿79.7

164.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.47

$1.41 ฿46.43

-9.93%

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

$22.7K R$115.7K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

5.76%

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

$30.7K R$156.6K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

12.36%

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

$74.0 R$377

$63.7 ฿2,093

16.16%

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

$10.56 R$53.8

$12.85 ฿423

-17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$105

$20.22 ฿665

2.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.81 R$137

$38.74 ฿1,274

-30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.51 R$227

$3.97 ฿130

1021.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 R$39.61

$6.74 ฿222

15.28%

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

$447 R$2,280

$778 ฿25.6K

-42.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K R$71.5K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-4.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R$298

$54.3 ฿1,785

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 R$239

$25.45 ฿837

84.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$511

$94.3 ฿3,102

6.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 R$354

$73.4 ฿2,415

-5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 R$2,820

$490 ฿16.1K

12.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 R$1,395

$289 ฿9,512

-5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 R$4,305

$894 ฿29.4K

-5.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 R$2,872

$517 ฿17.0K

8.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,250 R$11.5K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

15.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 R$5,499

$1,477 ฿48.6K

-26.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 R$3,028

$602 ฿19.8K

-1.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

5.57

101.97%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $553 in Belo Horizonte and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 1% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $240, with Belo Horizonte 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

Belo Horizonte vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 1% 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: $553 in Belo Horizonte versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $447 in Belo Horizonte 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 Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $37.00 in Belo Horizonte. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $949 in Belo Horizonte, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Belo Horizonte. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai 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, Belo Horizonte 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.

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