Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aracaju

For one person, living is cheaper in Aracaju: $659 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Aracaju
Learn more

Aracaju Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Aracaju

🇧🇷 Brazil

$659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $659 in Aracaju.

Chiang Mai $935
Aracaju $659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,043 in Aracaju.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Aracaju $1,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,427 in Aracaju.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Aracaju $1,427

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 42% more expensive than in Aracaju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Aracaju 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$4.63 R$25.41

-54.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$21.63 R$119

-13.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.42 R$29.75

3.32%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.92 R$10.54

-13.54%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.07 R$5.88

-39.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.55 R$3.03

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.88 R$10.30

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.90 R$15.93

26.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.03 R$5.64

96.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.40 R$7.69

0.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.09 R$5.97

27.52%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.59 R$8.70

49.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$6.99 R$38.39

136.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$3.60 R$19.73

-25.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$6.82 R$37.43

32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.94 R$10.62

23.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.23 R$6.77

-15.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.66 R$3.61

151.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.82 R$4.51

90.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.03 R$5.64

20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.90 R$4.93

21.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.51 R$2.80

49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.70 R$3.85

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.25 R$12.36

83.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$5.58 R$30.64

221.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.14 R$6.25

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.85 R$10.18

52.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.85 R$4.67

9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$38.97 R$214

35.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.16 R$6.37

1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.61 R$3.34

-72.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$6.05 R$33.22

-70.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.19 R$6.54

23.53%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$21.4K R$117.3K

-1.65%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$31.0K R$170.0K

-14.39%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$58.7 R$322

6.61%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$9.26 R$50.8

25.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$15.77 R$86.6

28.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$21.03 R$115

80.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$25.96 R$142

-85.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$5.85 R$32.08

11.28%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$277 R$1,520

162.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$5,017 R$27.5K

230.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$53.1 R$291

0.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$32.44 R$178

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$81.1 R$445

11.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$75.3 R$413

-4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$280 R$1,538

71.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$135 R$740

129.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$590 R$3,241

79.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$250 R$1,373

163.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,204 R$6,606

100.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$849 R$4,660

89.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$422 R$2,313

41.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Aracaju

$135 20.5% 56.5% $175

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Aracaju

$154 23.4% 34.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Aracaju

$109 16.5% 0.5% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Aracaju

$84 12.7% 11.4% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Aracaju

$98 14.9% 28% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Aracaju

$47 7.1% 20.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Aracaju

$33 5% 35.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $280 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 41% 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 $22 in Aracaju. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $154, with Aracaju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Aracaju

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

02:36 2:36 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

602,757

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Aracaju 15,220 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Aracaju

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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $659 in Aracaju, so Aracaju is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $280 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $277 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Aracaju gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Aracaju wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.