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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Brasilia versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Brasilia versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,132 in Brasilia versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 2% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 R$45.75

$2.10 ฿69.3

324.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.80 R$199

$19.84 ฿656

95.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 R$43.54

$5.79 ฿191

46.63%

Cappuccino

$2.58 R$13.24

$1.83 ฿60.4

40.98%

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

$1.41 R$7.22

$0.78 ฿25.61

80.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.31 ฿10.37

190.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$12.07

$2.34 ฿77.2

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 R$19.83

$3.70 ฿122

4.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.53

$2.03 ฿67.1

-46.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 R$10.43

$1.60 ฿52.7

26.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.58

$1.42 ฿46.75

-9.86%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.45

$2.18 ฿71.9

11.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 R$60.6

$15.91 ฿526

-25.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$21.09

$3.07 ฿102

33.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.47

$9.87 ฿326

-14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 R$12.39

$2.63 ฿86.8

-7.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.47

$1.10 ฿36.19

32.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.55

$1.63 ฿53.8

-21.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.45

$1.53 ฿50.6

7.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$1.24 ฿41.13

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.13 ฿37.37

-5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.03

$0.74 ฿24.38

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.85

$0.50 ฿16.48

90.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 R$12.29

$4.28 ฿141

-43.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 R$42.17

$17.97 ฿594

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.27

$1.70 ฿56.1

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$12.02

$2.90 ฿95.7

-19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.10

$0.94 ฿31.13

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.06 R$180

$55.3 ฿1,827

-36.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.23 ฿40.76

-13.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.73

$0.53 ฿17.66

73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 R$30.99

$2.40 ฿79.3

152.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.73

$1.44 ฿47.55

-9.03%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

10.06%

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

$31.9K R$163.6K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

16.90%

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

$96.4 R$494

$64.9 ฿2,145

48.51%

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

$12.61 R$64.6

$13.35 ฿441

-5.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.81 R$112

$20.83 ฿688

4.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.07 R$159

$40.42 ฿1,336

-23.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.00 R$138

$3.95 ฿131

583.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 R$39.38

$6.71 ฿222

14.46%

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

$822 R$4,214

$787 ฿26.0K

4.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K R$84.3K

$15.1K ฿499.6K

8.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 R$265

$56.2 ฿1,858

-8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 R$222

$24.95 ฿824

73.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 R$427

$92.7 ฿3,063

-10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 R$443

$75.1 ฿2,482

15.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,453

$484 ฿16.0K

-1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 R$1,322

$287 ฿9,491

-10.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 R$5,719

$910 ฿30.1K

22.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 R$2,855

$531 ฿17.5K

4.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 R$12.6K

$1,980 ฿65.4K

24.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,748 R$8,962

$1,451 ฿47.9K

20.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 R$4,327

$605 ฿20.0K

39.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

5.57

117.59%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Brasilia and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 39% 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: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $242, with Brasilia 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

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

Brasilia and Chiang Mai differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $950 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Brasilia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $479 in Brasilia versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $969 per month in Brasilia versus $950 in Chiang Mai – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $969 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. 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, Brasilia 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.