Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caxias do Sul and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Caxias do Sul: $817 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Caxias do Sul
🇧🇷 Brazil
$817
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $817
  • Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,379 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $1,379
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $1,941
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Caxias do Sul is about 13% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Caxias do Sul and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Caxias do Sul 39% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.97 R$35.32
$2.26 ฿75.4
208.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.56 R$195
$19.18 ฿641
101.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.99 R$35.43
$5.59 ฿187
25.04%
Cappuccino
$1.94 R$9.82
$1.72 ฿57.6
12.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.18
$0.64 ฿21.54
121.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 R$5.58
$0.33 ฿11.18
233.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 R$11.42
$2.36 ฿78.7
-4.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 R$15.07
$3.90 ฿130
-23.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 R$4.51
$2.05 ฿68.6
-56.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 R$8.40
$1.40 ฿46.70
18.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 R$5.77
$1.28 ฿42.89
-10.94%
Eggs
$2.00 R$10.12
$2.25 ฿75.3
-11.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 R$51.8
$16.94 ฿566
-39.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.88 R$24.76
$2.74 ฿91.6
78.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.20 R$51.7
$9.36 ฿313
8.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.56 R$7.93
$2.40 ฿80.3
-35.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 R$5.55
$1.01 ฿33.92
7.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.58 R$2.95
$1.61 ฿53.9
-63.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 R$8.42
$1.52 ฿50.7
9.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 R$4.96
$1.28 ฿42.90
-23.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 R$3.41
$1.11 ฿37.22
-39.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.79 R$3.99
$0.72 ฿24.09
9.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 R$3.71
$0.52 ฿17.54
40.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.55 R$12.91
$4.33 ฿145
-41.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.96 R$20.09
$17.73 ฿593
-77.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 R$5.67
$1.63 ฿54.4
-31.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 R$11.35
$2.85 ฿95.3
-21.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R$7.11
$0.85 ฿28.31
64.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.70 R$222
$53.9 ฿1,801
-18.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.46
$1.17 ฿39.18
8.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 R$4.12
$0.57 ฿19.00
42.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 R$40.94
$2.37 ฿79.2
240.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 R$6.60
$1.45 ฿48.32
-10.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K R$120.4K
$20.5K ฿684.3K
15.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K R$169.7K
$26.5K ฿886.1K
26.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.6 R$363
$62.3 ฿2,083
14.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.57 R$63.7
$12.27 ฿410
2.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.36 R$113
$19.97 ฿668
11.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.54 R$135
$37.91 ฿1,267
-29.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$59.0 R$299
$3.76 ฿126
1469.68%
Cinema Ticket
$7.48 R$37.94
$6.71 ฿224
11.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$406 R$2,056
$797 ฿26.6K
-49.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K R$122.7K
$14.8K ฿495.7K
63.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 R$255
$53.3 ฿1,780
-5.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.75 R$186
$25.05 ฿837
46.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 R$512
$91.6 ฿3,062
10.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 R$404
$73.5 ฿2,455
8.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$272 R$1,378
$464 ฿15.5K
-41.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$184 R$932
$305 ฿10.2K
-39.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$701 R$3,554
$915 ฿30.6K
-23.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$429 R$2,173
$552 ฿18.5K
-22.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,769 R$8,967
$1,912 ฿63.9K
-7.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,226 R$6,217
$1,438 ฿48.1K
-14.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Caxias do Sul
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$565 R$2,862
$595 ฿19.9K
-5.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
5.57
106.46%

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

Last update for Caxias do Sul: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Caxias do Sul
$184
Chiang Mai
$305 65.7% $121
Groceries & Markets
Caxias do Sul
$183
Chiang Mai
$238 30.1% $55
Eating Out
Caxias do Sul
$127
Chiang Mai
$79 37.9% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Caxias do Sul
$120
Chiang Mai
$110 9.1% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caxias do Sul
$106
Chiang Mai
$95 11.2% $12
Getting Around
Caxias do Sul
$55
Chiang Mai
$61 12.2% $6.7
Sport & Entertainment
Caxias do Sul
$42
Chiang Mai
$51 23.7% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Caxias do Sul versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Caxias do Sul versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Caxias do Sul vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Caxias do Sul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Caxias do Sul
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
12:22 12:22 PM
22:22 10:22 PM
10 h ahead of Caxias do Sul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,501
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Caxias do Sul Chiang Mai 16,780 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Caxias do Sul
  • 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
Caxias do Sul vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Caxias do Sul and in Chiang Mai compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $817 in Caxias do Sul, $938 in Chiang Mai – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Caxias do Sul compared to Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,226 per month in Caxias do Sul and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Caxias do Sul and Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Caxias do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Caxias do Sul and in Chiang Mai?
Public transport costs about 23% less in Caxias do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Caxias do Sul and Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $406 per month in Caxias do Sul and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Caxias do Sul, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Caxias do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Caxias do Sul and Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Caxias do Sul to $938 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Caxias do Sul or Chiang Mai safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Caxias do Sul and Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Caxias do Sul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Caxias do Sul vs other spots: cost of living compared

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