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: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $826 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $1,294 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $1,762 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 4% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Belo Horizonte 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$6.13 R$31.19

-68.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$31.91 R$162

-42.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$6.59 R$33.57

13.51%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.54 R$7.85

31.17%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.95 R$4.83

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.60 R$3.07

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.84 R$9.39

16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.04 R$15.49

18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.89 R$4.54

85.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.50 R$7.64

4.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$1.54 R$7.83

-22.73%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.99 R$10.11

-2.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$8.22 R$41.83

96.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.44 R$17.50

-13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$7.41 R$37.73

47.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.24 R$11.41

20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.29 R$6.59

-9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.11 R$5.65

52.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.36 R$6.94

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.07 R$5.44

28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.84 R$4.30

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.70 R$3.57

-4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.68 R$3.46

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.18 R$11.10

112.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$7.56 R$38.49

133.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.07 R$5.45

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.15 R$10.93

53.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.92 R$4.67

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$41.65 R$212

-53.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.92 R$4.69

47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$1.08 R$5.50

24.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$7.93 R$40.37

3.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.08 R$5.52

12.96%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$25.2K R$128.2K

-15.21%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$28.7K R$146.3K

-21.57%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$64.8 R$330

9.14%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$14.22 R$72.4

-1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$20.86 R$106

-16.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$23.90 R$122

76.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$39.74 R$202

-82.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$7.39 R$37.60

-19.89%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$369 R$1,877

-16.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$6,843 R$34.8K

117.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$52.5 R$267

6.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$36.72 R$187

-28.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$71.1 R$362

16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$65.8 R$335

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$413 R$2,102

4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$260 R$1,324

-8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$698 R$3,555

17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$453 R$2,307

12.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$2,288 R$11.6K

-16.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$1,094 R$5,570

34.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$618 R$3,146

-6.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.83

-53.83%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $413 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $32.00 in Belo Horizonte. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $173, 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

Chiang Mai and Belo Horizonte differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($861 vs $826 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Belo Horizonte. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $413 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $369 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Belo Horizonte gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.