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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $858 in Barreiras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,353 in Barreiras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,849 in Barreiras.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 9% more expensive than in Barreiras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Barreiras 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$6.10 R$31.37

-65.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$26.77 R$138

-26.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$6.57 R$33.77

-13.70%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$2.03 R$10.42

-10.84%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$1.23 R$6.32

-37.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.85 R$4.36

-58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.71 R$8.79

29.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$2.75 R$14.15

37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$0.88 R$4.54

132.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.68 R$8.63

-10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$1.06 R$5.46

32.08%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$2.09 R$10.76

8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$10.53 R$54.1

53.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.89 R$19.99

-25.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$7.30 R$37.53

29.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$2.34 R$12.05

14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$1.16 R$5.98

-6.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$1.27 R$6.54

27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$1.59 R$8.16

-8.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$1.24 R$6.38

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$0.97 R$4.97

9.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.75 R$3.85

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.75 R$3.86

-29.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.58 R$13.28

63.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$6.89 R$35.42

165.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$1.37 R$7.04

18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.92 R$9.89

51.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.88 R$4.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

$47.51 R$244

13.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$1.41 R$7.27

-17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$0.75 R$3.87

-22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$7.32 R$37.63

-67.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$1.28 R$6.61

13.28%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$21.8K R$112.2K

-3.71%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$30.2K R$155.3K

-12.53%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$76.6 R$394

-16.95%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$11.02 R$56.7

16.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$18.85 R$96.9

8.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$23.82 R$122

63.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$29.30 R$151

-86.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$6.25 R$32.13

5.28%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$287 R$1,475

173.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$7,607 R$39.1K

92.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$61.2 R$314

-9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$44.02 R$226

-43.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$79.5 R$409

18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$74.3 R$382

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$360 R$1,853

36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$253 R$1,300

14.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$680 R$3,497

31.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$448 R$2,302

16.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$1,700 R$8,744

16.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$1,300 R$6,683

11.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.06

-49.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barreiras: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $360 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $27.00 in Barreiras. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $185, with Barreiras 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 Barreiras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $1,287 in Barreiras to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $360 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $287 in Barreiras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $858 in Barreiras versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barreiras is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Barreiras 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 Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.