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: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $844 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,306 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $1,769 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 3% more expensive than Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Belo Horizonte 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$6.47 R$32.74

-70.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$33.04 R$167

-43.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$6.68 R$33.83

17.07%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$1.55 R$7.85

25.81%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.93 R$4.69

-8.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.64 R$3.26

-45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.76 R$8.92

21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.01 R$15.24

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.89 R$4.52

92.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.51 R$7.64

7.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.59 R$8.03

-28.30%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.94 R$9.84

-0.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$7.89 R$39.97

105.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.38 R$17.10

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$7.19 R$36.43

51.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$2.17 R$10.98

26.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.29 R$6.52

-6.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.09 R$5.52

48.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.30 R$6.60

22.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$1.01 R$5.12

38.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.85 R$4.33

37.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.70 R$3.56

-5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.67 R$3.41

-20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.11 R$10.67

122.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$8.69 R$43.99

114.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.07 R$5.42

68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.14 R$10.82

50.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.96 R$4.87

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$40.86 R$207

-52.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.93 R$4.69

51.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$1.14 R$5.78

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$8.33 R$42.19

-5.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.05 R$5.31

20.95%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$25.5K R$129.0K

-16.46%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$28.9K R$146.1K

-23.02%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$66.0 R$334

4.70%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$14.58 R$73.8

-3.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$20.88 R$106

-13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$24.00 R$122

71.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$39.35 R$199

-82.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$7.15 R$36.19

-17.20%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$368 R$1,861

-18.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$6,826 R$34.6K

119.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$52.5 R$266

4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$37.80 R$191

-29.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$72.7 R$368

16.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$65.9 R$334

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$404 R$2,045

6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$265 R$1,341

-10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$697 R$3,529

14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$455 R$2,302

13.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$2,309 R$11.7K

-14.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,109 R$5,617

32.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$625 R$3,165

-1.22%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $33.00 in Belo Horizonte. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $172, 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 3% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $844 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Belo Horizonte earns 1% less. 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $368 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% 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 3% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.