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: $803 in Chapeco versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,292 in Chapeco versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Chapeco versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Chapeco costs roughly 6% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chapeco 40% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.24 R$26.10

$1.96 ฿63.6

167.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.17 R$170

$18.81 ฿611

81.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 R$26.71

$7.92 ฿258

-32.32%

Cappuccino

$1.84 R$9.18

$1.91 ฿62.2

-3.66%

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

$0.70 R$3.46

$0.84 ฿27.25

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.66

$0.35 ฿11.44

111.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 R$7.26

$2.21 ฿71.7

-33.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 R$10.99

$3.80 ฿124

-41.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.01

$1.64 ฿53.2

-38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R$5.28

$1.62 ฿52.8

-34.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.21

$1.18 ฿38.40

5.93%

Eggs

$1.59 R$7.90

$2.01 ฿65.4

-20.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 R$41.25

$15.89 ฿517

-47.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 R$35.14

$3.01 ฿98.0

134.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 R$36.80

$10.77 ฿350

-31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.72

$2.61 ฿85.0

-17.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.29

$1.22 ฿39.65

-13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.66

$1.70 ฿55.4

-32.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.23

$1.58 ฿51.2

-8.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.39

$1.32 ฿42.89

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.26

$1.17 ฿38.01

-9.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.41

$0.67 ฿21.85

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.13

$0.56 ฿18.21

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 R$11.47

$4.53 ฿147

-49.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 R$49.38

$18.20 ฿592

-45.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.32

$1.83 ฿59.6

-30.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 R$10.38

$3.23 ฿105

-35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 R$3.88

$0.89 ฿28.83

-12.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.74 R$193

$19.38 ฿630

99.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.54

$1.35 ฿43.95

-17.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R$3.70

$1.35 ฿43.79

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 R$31.00

$8.25 ฿268

-24.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.54

$1.27 ฿41.40

-12.60%

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

$22.0K R$109.7K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

4.14%

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

$27.0K R$134.2K

$22.5K ฿731.0K

19.86%

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

$61.1 R$304

$70.2 ฿2,281

-12.96%

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

$7.89 R$39.28

$13.77 ฿448

-42.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.23 R$90.8

$17.60 ฿572

3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.43 R$117

$41.57 ฿1,352

-43.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.84 R$164

$6.60 ฿215

397.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 R$32.22

$5.78 ฿188

11.94%

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

$271 R$1,348

$306 ฿9,953

-11.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,424 R$32.0K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-56.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.12 R$240

$54.4 ฿1,768

-11.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.42 R$206

$26.14 ฿850

58.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 R$376

$84.5 ฿2,748

-10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.6 R$317

$69.4 ฿2,257

-8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 R$1,421

$424 ฿13.8K

-32.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 R$1,278

$238 ฿7,743

7.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,832

$825 ฿26.8K

-31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 R$2,339

$515 ฿16.7K

-8.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,687 R$8,400

$2,049 ฿66.6K

-17.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 R$5,428

$1,523 ฿49.5K

-28.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$446 R$2,221

$635 ฿20.6K

-29.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

118.40%

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

Last update for Chapeco: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Chapeco and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 42% 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: $34.00 in Chapeco vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $243, 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

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chiang Mai earns 42% less. 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: $285 in Chapeco versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chapeco runs roughly 100% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $271 in Chapeco versus $306 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chapeco gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $803 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco 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 Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.