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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $723 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,116 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,509 in Aracaju.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 29% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Aracaju 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$4.73 R$24.31

-56.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$23.49 R$121

-16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$6.01 R$30.89

-5.66%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$1.76 R$9.06

2.84%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$1.13 R$5.82

-31.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.59 R$3.04

-40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.96 R$10.10

12.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$2.74 R$14.08

38.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$1.02 R$5.26

100.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.49 R$7.68

1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$1.20 R$6.15

16.67%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$1.68 R$8.65

34.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$7.51 R$38.62

115.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.65 R$18.79

-20.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$6.97 R$35.82

35.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$2.04 R$10.48

31.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$1.24 R$6.36

-12.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$0.65 R$3.34

149.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$1.04 R$5.34

40.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$0.98 R$5.05

30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$0.93 R$4.81

13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.54 R$2.80

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.69 R$3.52

-23.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.30 R$11.84

83.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$5.88 R$30.26

211.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$1.26 R$6.46

29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.05 R$10.53

41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.90 R$4.65

-2.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

$41.89 R$215

28.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$1.57 R$8.09

-25.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$1.18 R$6.08

-50.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$6.71 R$34.49

-64.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$1.28 R$6.59

13.28%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$23.6K R$121.2K

-10.85%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$32.8K R$168.9K

-19.56%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$93.7 R$482

-32.04%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$9.65 R$49.63

33.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$16.63 R$85.5

23.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$21.73 R$112

79.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$26.42 R$136

-85.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$6.37 R$32.76

3.30%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$176 R$907

344.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$5,177 R$26.6K

183.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$55.6 R$286

-0.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$33.97 R$175

-27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$84.4 R$434

11.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$81.3 R$418

-9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$295 R$1,516

66.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$138 R$712

108.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$614 R$3,158

45.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$273 R$1,401

91.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$1,254 R$6,447

57.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$875 R$4,499

65.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$450 R$2,312

33.79%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $295 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 34% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $23.00 in Aracaju. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $161, with Aracaju 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

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

Chiang Mai and Aracaju differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $723 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $295 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $176 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Aracaju versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.