Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Araxa

For one person, living is cheaper in Araxa: $828 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Araxa
Learn more

Araxa Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Araxa

🇧🇷 Brazil

$828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $828 in Araxa.

Chiang Mai $935
Araxa $828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,316 in Araxa.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Araxa $1,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,805 in Araxa.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Araxa $1,805

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 13% more expensive than in Araxa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Araxa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$5.52 R$30.28

-61.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$30.28 R$166

-38.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$7.24 R$39.72

-22.65%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.84 R$10.10

-9.78%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$1.21 R$6.62

-46.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.69 R$3.81

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$1.84 R$10.08

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.83 R$15.51

29.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.00 R$5.48

102.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.59 R$8.72

-11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.19 R$6.53

16.81%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.98 R$10.85

19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$8.70 R$47.73

89.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$4.13 R$22.65

-35.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$7.77 R$42.66

16.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.11 R$11.57

13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.19 R$6.53

-12.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.13 R$6.21

46.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.49 R$8.19

4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.14 R$6.24

8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.00 R$5.50

9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.73 R$3.98

4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.72 R$3.98

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.30 R$12.61

79.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$7.27 R$39.89

146.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.22 R$6.70

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$1.97 R$10.80

43.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.91 R$5.01

2.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$42.36 R$232

24.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$1.24 R$6.81

-4.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.85 R$4.65

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$7.61 R$41.75

-76.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.22 R$6.67

20.49%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$22.1K R$121.4K

-4.99%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$31.4K R$172.2K

-15.51%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$71.7 R$393

-12.72%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$11.48 R$63.0

1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$19.98 R$110

1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$24.09 R$132

57.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$26.10 R$143

-85.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$6.85 R$37.61

-4.96%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$257 R$1,411

182.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$6,762 R$37.1K

145.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$50.9 R$279

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$46.24 R$254

-46.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$84.3 R$463

7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$65.8 R$361

9.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$337 R$1,848

42.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$234 R$1,282

32.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$626 R$3,437

68.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$455 R$2,498

44.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$1,554 R$8,528

55.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$1,151 R$6,317

39.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$228 R$1,249

161.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Araxa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Araxa

$234 28.2% 24.6% $76

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Araxa

$180 21.7% 24% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Araxa

$111 13.5% 2.7% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Araxa

$103 12.5% 9.2% $8.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Araxa

$110 13.3% 44.2% $34

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Araxa

$51 6.2% 12.2% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Araxa

$38 4.6% 25.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $337 in Araxa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $30 in Araxa. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $180, with Araxa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Araxa

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

07:28 7:28 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

111,691

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.16 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Araxa 16,440 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Araxa

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 Araxa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Araxa wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Araxa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 2.6 times higher, 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 $337 in Araxa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $828 in Araxa – Araxa is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Araxa runs roughly 20% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Araxa is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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