Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Alfenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Alfenas: $731 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Alfenas
Learn more

Alfenas Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Alfenas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Alfenas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Alfenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $731 in Alfenas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Alfenas $731

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,297 in Alfenas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Alfenas $1,297

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,862 in Alfenas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Alfenas $1,862

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Alfenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Alfenas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Alfenas 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.59 R$19.71

-40.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$27.35 R$150

-31.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.43 R$29.79

3.13%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$0.89 R$4.86

86.52%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$0.57 R$3.14

14.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.54 R$2.94

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.17 R$11.89

6.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.73 R$14.99

34.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.15 R$6.32

75.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.66 R$9.11

-15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.40 R$7.67

-0.71%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.53 R$13.88

-6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$11.22 R$61.6

47.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$4.97 R$27.30

-46.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$10.00 R$54.9

-9.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.49 R$13.66

-3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.62 R$8.89

-35.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.38 R$7.55

20.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.74 R$9.57

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.31 R$7.18

-5.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.19 R$6.53

-8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.15 R$6.30

-33.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.92 R$5.05

-44.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.82 R$9.99

126.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$9.29 R$51.0

93.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.67 R$9.16

-2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.36 R$12.95

19.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$1.10 R$6.03

-15.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$47.17 R$259

12.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.26 R$6.91

-6.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.94 R$5.17

-81.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$10.02 R$55.0

-81.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.24 R$6.83

18.55%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$21.6K R$118.8K

-2.94%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$27.5K R$150.7K

-3.45%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$55.7 R$305

12.42%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$15.69 R$86.1

-26.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$18.60 R$102

9.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$25.24 R$139

50.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$22.35 R$123

-83.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$6.58 R$36.11

-1.06%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$572 R$3,141

27.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$6,674 R$36.6K

148.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$58.7 R$322

-8.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$56.1 R$308

-55.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$93.2 R$511

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$86.8 R$476

-17.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$337 R$1,851

42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$114 R$626

171.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$654 R$3,591

61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$451 R$2,475

46.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,784 R$9,793

35.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,165 R$6,392

38.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$458 R$2,511

30.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Alfenas: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Alfenas

$114 15.6% 63.2% $196

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Alfenas

$222 30.4% 6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Alfenas

$133 18.1% 22.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Alfenas

$90 12.3% 4.8% $4.5

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Alfenas

$76 10.5% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Alfenas

$58 7.9% 1.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Alfenas

$38 5.3% 24.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $337 in Alfenas. 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 30% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Alfenas. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $222 in Alfenas – so Alfenas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Alfenas

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

06:23 6:23 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

78,970

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Alfenas 16,350 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Alfenas

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $731 in Alfenas – Alfenas comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,097 in Alfenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alfenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $27 in Alfenas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $731 in Alfenas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Alfenas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Alfenas. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.