Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Belo Horizonte Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Belo Horizonte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $949 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $1,532 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $2,115 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs are close between Chiang Mai and Belo Horizonte; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Belo Horizonte 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$5.72 R$29.16

-63.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$37.36 R$191

-47.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$8.42 R$42.94

-32.90%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$2.19 R$11.18

-17.35%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$1.31 R$6.71

-45.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.80 R$4.06

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$2.01 R$10.24

11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.45 R$17.61

5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$0.95 R$4.84

106.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.76 R$8.99

-14.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$2.00 R$10.20

-33.00%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$2.14 R$10.91

5.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$9.22 R$47.02

76.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$4.03 R$20.56

-26.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$7.15 R$36.44

39.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$1.89 R$9.64

35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$1.12 R$5.73

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.17 R$5.94

37.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$1.53 R$7.82

-0.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$1.10 R$5.59

15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$0.99 R$5.07

8.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.76 R$3.90

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.88 R$4.51

-42.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$2.38 R$12.15

76.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$7.89 R$40.23

126.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.33 R$6.78

27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$2.64 R$13.48

7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$1.22 R$6.21

-23.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$66.9 R$341

-19.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$0.99 R$5.03

24.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.69 R$3.53

-15.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$6.40 R$32.64

-62.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.27 R$6.47

11.02%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$22.7K R$115.7K

-5.44%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$30.7K R$156.6K

-11.00%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$74.0 R$377

-13.91%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$10.56 R$53.8

21.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$20.64 R$105

-2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$26.81 R$137

44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$44.51 R$227

-91.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$7.77 R$39.61

-13.26%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$447 R$2,280

73.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$14.0K R$71.5K

4.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$58.4 R$298

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$46.88 R$239

-45.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$100 R$511

-5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$69.4 R$354

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$553 R$2,820

-11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$274 R$1,395

5.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$844 R$4,305

5.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$563 R$2,872

-8.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$2,250 R$11.5K

-13.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$1,078 R$5,499

36.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$594 R$3,028

1.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.25

-50.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $553 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 1% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $37.00 in Belo Horizonte. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $188, with Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 1% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $553 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $778 in Chiang Mai versus $447 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $37.00 in Belo Horizonte. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $949 in Belo Horizonte, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Belo Horizonte. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai 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 Belo Horizonte are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Belo Horizonte on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.