Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,100 in Castelo Branco, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Castelo Branco $1,100
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Castelo Branco versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Castelo Branco $1,666
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,233 in Castelo Branco versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Castelo Branco $2,233
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Castelo Branco is roughly 17% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Castelo Branco 19% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.05

$2.26 ฿75.4

399.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 €34.80

$19.18 ฿641

103.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 €8.56

$5.59 ฿187

72.09%

Cappuccino

$1.25 €1.11

$1.72 ฿57.6

-27.33%

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

$1.41 €1.25

$0.64 ฿21.54

120.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.33 ฿11.18

281.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.36 ฿78.7

-53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.90 ฿130

-43.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$2.05 ฿68.6

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.40 ฿46.70

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.28 ฿42.89

13.28%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.44

$2.25 ฿75.3

72.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$16.94 ฿566

-48.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 €5.16

$2.74 ฿91.6

111.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$9.36 ฿313

-8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.40 ฿80.3

-12.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.01 ฿33.92

29.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.61 ฿53.9

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.52 ฿50.7

51.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.28 ฿42.90

28.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.11 ฿37.22

30.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.72 ฿24.09

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.52 ฿17.54

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$4.33 ฿145

37.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$17.73 ฿593

-80.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.63 ฿54.4

-28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.85 ฿95.3

-31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.85 ฿28.31

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.20 €19.75

$53.9 ฿1,801

-58.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.17 ฿39.18

92.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.66

$0.57 ฿19.00

29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$2.37 ฿79.2

603.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.45 ฿48.32

40.69%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

63.65%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

52.68%

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

$120 €106

$62.3 ฿2,083

91.96%

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

$19.03 €16.92

$12.27 ฿410

55.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 €28.45

$19.97 ฿668

60.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 €34.97

$37.91 ฿1,267

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$6.71 ฿224

-0.15%

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

$678 €603

$797 ฿26.6K

-15.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

14.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 €70.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

47.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.71 €39.77

$25.05 ฿837

78.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 €73.0

$91.6 ฿3,062

-10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 €60.2

$73.5 ฿2,455

-7.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 €407

$464 ฿15.5K

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 €323

$305 ฿10.2K

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 €708

$915 ฿30.6K

-13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €538

$552 ฿18.5K

9.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,574 €1,400

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-17.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 €1,176

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-8.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,617 €1,438

$595 ฿19.9K

171.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.57

-30.88%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castelo Branco

$363 33%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 16.1% $58

Groceries & Markets

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 17.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 44.6% $76

Eating Out

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 48.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 10.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 2.6% $1.4

Getting Around

Castelo Branco

$33 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 84.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Castelo Branco and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 172% 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 Castelo Branco vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $238, with Castelo Branco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

15:40 3:40 PM

6 h ahead of Castelo Branco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,291

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Castelo Branco Chiang Mai 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Castelo Branco
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

Castelo Branco vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 172% higher in Castelo Branco, 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: $458 in Castelo Branco versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Castelo Branco versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 143% less than in Castelo Branco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Castelo Branco. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Castelo Branco, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Castelo Branco 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 17% less than in Castelo Branco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.