Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arcos de Valdevez

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Arcos de Valdevez
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Arcos de Valdevez Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Arcos de Valdevez

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Arcos de Valdevez

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 Arcos de Valdevez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Arcos de Valdevez $1,540

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,260 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Arcos de Valdevez $2,260

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,981 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Arcos de Valdevez $2,981

Chiang Mai is about 40% cheaper than Arcos de Valdevez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Arcos de Valdevez is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.04 €8.04

-74.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$42.22 €37.56

-53.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.20 €7.29

-31.59%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.82 €1.62

-8.79%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.49 €1.33

-53.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.14 €1.01

-72.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.26 €2.01

6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.82 €2.51

31.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.15 €1.03

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.78 €1.58

-20.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.41 €1.25

-7.09%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.27 €2.02

-3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.69 €7.73

91.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$8.11 €7.21

-65.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$14.33 €12.75

-36.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.92 €1.70

24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.47 €1.31

-29.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.76 €1.56

-7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.29 €2.04

-34.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.84 €1.64

-29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.66 €1.47

-33.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.02 €0.91

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.58 €0.52

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.74 €5.11

-24.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.42 €3.93

306.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.13 €1.01

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.72 €1.53

65.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$2.25 €2.00

-61.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$42.01 €37.37

26.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$4.51 €4.01

-73.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.48 €1.31

-61.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$20.86 €18.55

-88.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$2.14 €1.91

-32.71%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$27.5K €24.5K

-24.62%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$37.9K €33.7K

-29.23%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$101 €90.0

-38.36%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$16.68 €14.84

-27.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$33.36 €29.67

-40.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$41.30 €36.73

-10.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$16.41 €14.60

-76.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$8.80 €7.83

-26.14%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$458 €408

72.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,421 €5,711

130.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$95.2 €84.7

-43.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$35.80 €31.85

-31.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$76.5 €68.0

18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$102 €90.4

-30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$961 €855

-52.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$753 €670

-60.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,519 €1,351

-40.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,193 €1,061

-53.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,051 €2,714

-36.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,210 €1,966

-34.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,919 €1,707

-69.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.7

50.54%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Arcos de Valdevez: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Arcos de Valdevez

$753 48.9% 153% $456

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Arcos de Valdevez

$228 14.8% 3% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Arcos de Valdevez

$139 9% 28.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Arcos de Valdevez

$151 9.8% 60.2% $57

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Arcos de Valdevez

$146 9.5% 86% $68

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Arcos de Valdevez

$63 4.1% 3.5% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Arcos de Valdevez

$59 3.8% 17.7% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $961 in Arcos de Valdevez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 225% higher in Arcos de Valdevez, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $42.00 in Arcos de Valdevez. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $228 in Arcos de Valdevez – so Arcos de Valdevez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇹 Arcos de Valdevez

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

01:18 1:18 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

20,720

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Arcos de Valdevez 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arcos de Valdevez

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 Arcos de Valdevez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arcos de Valdevez costs about 66% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,310 in Arcos de Valdevez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $458 in Arcos de Valdevez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Arcos de Valdevez – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Arcos de Valdevez at $1,540. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arcos de Valdevez it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arcos de Valdevez makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.