Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Atibaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Atibaia: $812 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Atibaia
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Atibaia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Atibaia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $812 in Atibaia.

Chiang Mai $925
Atibaia $812

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,451 in Atibaia.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Atibaia $1,451

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $2,090 in Atibaia.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Atibaia $2,090

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 14% more expensive than in Atibaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Atibaia 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.02 R$40.64

-71.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$31.96 R$162

-38.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.04 R$35.67

-20.31%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.32 R$11.77

-28.45%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.40 R$7.11

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.95 R$4.82

-67.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.95 R$9.91

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.01 R$15.28

23.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.09 R$5.51

78.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.84 R$9.35

-23.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.33 R$6.76

-1.50%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.49 R$12.63

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.82 R$54.9

53.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.85 R$24.60

-43.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$9.73 R$49.33

-6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.15 R$10.90

11.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.22 R$6.21

-15.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.22 R$6.17

33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.63 R$8.29

-7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.20 R$6.10

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.33 R$6.73

-16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.97 R$4.94

-25.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.76 R$3.83

-30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.34 R$11.88

84.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.63 R$38.66

135.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.38 R$6.99

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.88 R$9.56

51.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.97 R$4.93

-11.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.57 R$7.94

-22.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.61 R$8.19

-64.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$17.61 R$89.3

-86.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.25 R$6.33

15.20%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$20.3K R$103.1K

1.93%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$31.3K R$158.7K

-14.40%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$77.8 R$395

-19.90%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$12.25 R$62.1

-1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$21.94 R$111

-9.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$24.22 R$123

53.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$19.88 R$101

-80.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$8.60 R$43.61

-24.42%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$275 R$1,395

188.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$10.0K R$50.8K

47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$53.8 R$273

-0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$37.65 R$191

-34.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$75.0 R$380

21.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$60.1 R$305

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$301 R$1,527

51.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$198 R$1,006

50.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,008 R$5,112

-9.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$693 R$3,511

-20.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,987 R$10.1K

-2.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,687 R$8,550

-14.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$503 R$2,552

17.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.79

-56.45%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Atibaia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Atibaia

$198 24.4% 33.4% $99

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Atibaia

$207 25.5% 12.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Atibaia

$102 12.6% 5.8% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Atibaia

$112 13.8% 18.7% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Atibaia

$138 17% 76% $60

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Atibaia

$14 * 1.7% 77.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Atibaia

$41 5.1% 17.3% $8.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $301 in Atibaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 17% 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 $32.00 in Atibaia. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $207, with Atibaia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Atibaia

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

08:41 8:41 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

158,647

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Atibaia 16,410 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Atibaia

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 Atibaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Atibaia differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($925 vs $812 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $301 in Atibaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Mai versus $275 in Atibaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $812 in Atibaia versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atibaia but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Atibaia 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 Atibaia 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 Atibaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.