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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Chapeco versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,519 in Chapeco versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,018 in Chapeco versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Chapeco is roughly 9% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chapeco 25% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.73 R$29.52

$2.08 ฿69.5

175.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.40 R$203

$19.61 ฿655

100.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 R$50.5

$5.67 ฿189

72.84%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R$9.99

$1.81 ฿60.3

7.18%

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

$0.84 R$4.31

$0.77 ฿25.65

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.46

$0.35 ฿11.53

91.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 R$7.88

$2.21 ฿73.9

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R$12.61

$3.79 ฿127

-35.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 R$4.49

$2.05 ฿68.4

-57.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R$5.95

$1.51 ฿50.6

-23.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R$11.18

$1.40 ฿46.69

55.00%

Eggs

$1.93 R$9.97

$2.26 ฿75.4

-14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R$46.25

$16.19 ฿540

-44.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 R$42.07

$2.90 ฿96.7

181.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.45 R$59.0

$9.42 ฿314

21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 R$13.15

$2.68 ฿89.4

-4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.59

$1.09 ฿36.37

-0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 R$2.86

$1.62 ฿54.0

-65.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.16

$1.46 ฿48.74

-44.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.19

$1.28 ฿42.65

-36.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 R$3.06

$1.06 ฿35.31

-44.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.83

$0.72 ฿23.94

30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$4.09

$0.53 ฿17.56

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 R$13.29

$4.23 ฿141

-39.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 R$50.2

$18.29 ฿611

-46.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.80

$1.63 ฿54.4

-42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 R$7.90

$2.90 ฿96.8

-47.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$4.87

$0.88 ฿29.32

7.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.62 R$199

$53.8 ฿1,795

-28.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R$7.09

$1.17 ฿39.14

17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$1.45 ฿48.41

-20.00%

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

$22.9K R$118.2K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

9.22%

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

$31.7K R$163.5K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

20.09%

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

$185 R$953

$63.7 ฿2,125

190.49%

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

$11.17 R$57.6

$12.89 ฿430

-13.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.58 R$101

$20.52 ฿685

-4.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.26 R$135

$39.02 ฿1,302

-32.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.58 R$183

$3.92 ฿131

807.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 R$35.02

$6.58 ฿220

3.34%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.62 R$153

$55.1 ฿1,840

-46.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 R$100.0

$24.74 ฿826

-21.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.49 R$203

$94.1 ฿3,142

-58.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 R$301

$74.0 ฿2,469

-21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 R$2,196

$490 ฿16.4K

-13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,767

$288 ฿9,620

19.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 R$4,582

$891 ฿29.8K

-0.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 R$2,898

$521 ฿17.4K

7.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,675 R$8,631

$1,974 ฿65.9K

-15.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 R$5,558

$1,444 ฿48.2K

-25.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 R$2,239

$602 ฿20.1K

-27.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chapeco: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Chapeco and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Chapeco vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $241, with Chapeco 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Chapeco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $426 in Chapeco versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chapeco pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,020 per month in Chapeco versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,020 in Chapeco, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Chapeco. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $932 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chapeco 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 9% less than in Chapeco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.