Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Araraquara

For one person, living is cheaper in Araraquara: $620 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Araraquara
Learn more

Araraquara Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Araraquara

🇧🇷 Brazil

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $620 in Araraquara.

Chiang Mai $936
Araraquara $620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,027 in Araraquara.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Araraquara $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,434 in Araraquara.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Araraquara $1,434

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 51% more expensive than in Araraquara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Araraquara 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.59 R$29.91

-59.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$22.50 R$120

-15.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.70 R$35.82

-17.16%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.10 R$11.23

-20.48%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.54 R$8.21

-58.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.79 R$4.20

-60.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.90 R$10.16

24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.76 R$20.12

-2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.82 R$4.41

137.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.19 R$6.39

21.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.07 R$5.70

24.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.32 R$12.39

-1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.24 R$33.35

163.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.20 R$17.10

-13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.75 R$30.75

61.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.29 R$6.88

82.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.88 R$4.71

10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.84 R$4.50

90.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.17 R$6.28

28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.79 R$4.24

62.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.70 R$3.77

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.58 R$3.08

22.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.69 R$3.70

-28.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.90 R$10.18

117.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$4.75 R$25.41

268.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.91 R$4.89

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.51 R$8.09

84.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.01 R$5.42

-13.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$24.46 R$131

121.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.18 R$6.33

-1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.97 R$5.21

-45.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.84 R$47.24

-72.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.09 R$5.84

33.03%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$21.7K R$116.3K

-3.15%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$22.4K R$119.9K

20.14%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$40.58 R$217

53.20%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.21 R$49.24

32.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$16.87 R$90.2

19.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$24.45 R$131

52.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$18.70 R$100.0

-79.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.73 R$19.95

73.99%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$280 R$1,495

163.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,013 R$37.5K

110.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$43.26 R$231

23.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$41.02 R$219

-39.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$86.8 R$464

5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$51.2 R$274

40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$212 R$1,135

127.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$132 R$708

133.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$465 R$2,487

116.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$322 R$1,721

96.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,288 R$6,888

83.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$430 R$2,300

37.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.12

-49.91%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Araraquara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Araraquara

$132 21.4% 57.1% $177

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Araraquara

$138 22.3% 41.1% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Araraquara

$100 16.1% 7.9% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Araraquara

$67 10.8% 29.4% $28

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Araraquara

$116 18.8% 50% $39

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Araraquara

$35 5.6% 43.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Araraquara

$32 5.2% 36.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $212 in Araraquara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 37% 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 Araraquara. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $138, with Araraquara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Araraquara

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

20:09 8:09 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

242,228

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Araraquara 16,580 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Araraquara

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 Araraquara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $620 in Araraquara, so Araraquara is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $212 in Araraquara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $22 in Araraquara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Araraquara 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 – Araraquara wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.