Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Anapolis

For one person, living is cheaper in Anapolis: $655 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Anapolis, Brazil
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Anapolis
🇧🇷 Brazil
$655
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Anapolis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $655 in Anapolis.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Anapolis $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,092 in Anapolis.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Anapolis $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,529 in Anapolis.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Anapolis $1,529

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 43% more expensive than in Anapolis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Anapolis 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$5.46 R$29.67
-58.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$36.97 R$201
-48.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$8.09 R$43.99
-31.40%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$2.43 R$13.19
-31.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.53
$1.08 R$5.85
-40.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.30
$0.77 R$4.16
-59.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$1.83 R$9.98
28.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$3.25 R$17.65
12.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$1.03 R$5.59
89.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.45
$1.81 R$9.86
-20.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.01
$1.29 R$7.00
3.10%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.0
$1.97 R$10.72
15.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$8.55 R$46.49
92.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$3.66 R$19.90
-24.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$6.96 R$37.86
33.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$1.94 R$10.54
21.13%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.78
$1.00 R$5.44
-3.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.13 R$6.15
41.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.05 R$5.68
42.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.10
$1.16 R$6.32
10.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.17
$0.92 R$4.98
19.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.81
$0.64 R$3.48
10.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$0.90 R$4.89
-45.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$1.91 R$10.38
116.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$5.49 R$29.83
219.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.18 R$6.44
36.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$2.35 R$12.78
18.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.29
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.03
$0.98 R$5.34
18.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.79
$0.86 R$4.69
-38.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$6.00 R$32.60
-59.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.87
$1.19 R$6.46
21.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.3K
$22.1K R$120.1K
-4.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿908.7K
$31.6K R$171.7K
-14.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,097
$56.9 R$309
9.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$9.17 R$49.85
32.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$18.77 R$102
7.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$22.26 R$121
67.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$5.48 R$29.78
18.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$764 R$4,156
-3.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.0K
$15.6K R$84.7K
-5.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,800
$52.6 R$286
1.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$36.96 R$201
-33.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,086
$80.4 R$437
13.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,426
$36.78 R$200
95.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$224 R$1,218
115.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$147 R$797
110.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$508 R$2,762
98.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$336 R$1,826
88.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
$1,208 R$6,566
95.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$899 R$4,888
76.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Anapolis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$506 R$2,753
16.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
12.12
-54.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Anapolis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Anapolis
$147 52.5% $162
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Anapolis
$172 26.6% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Anapolis
$93 14.4% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Anapolis
$85 10.2% $9.6
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Anapolis
$120 54.8% $42
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Anapolis
$5.3 * 91.4% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Anapolis
$33 33.9% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $224 in Anapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 16% 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: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $37 in Anapolis. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $172, with Anapolis cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Anapolis
🕒 Local time
22:13 10:13 PM
12:13 12:13 PM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
398,869
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Anapolis 16,610 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Anapolis

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 Anapolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Anapolis?
Anapolis wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Anapolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Chiang Mai or in Anapolis?
Average pay runs 16% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Chiang Mai compared to Anapolis?
Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $224 in Anapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Anapolis?
Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Chiang Mai compared to Anapolis?
All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $655 in Anapolis – Anapolis is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Anapolis?
At $655 in Anapolis versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Anapolis but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Anapolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Anapolis?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Anapolis?
It comes down to priorities – Anapolis wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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