Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bertioga

For one person, living is cheaper in Bertioga: $785 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bertioga, Brazil
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Bertioga
🇧🇷 Brazil
$785
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $785 in Bertioga.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Bertioga $785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,226 in Bertioga.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Bertioga $1,226

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,668 in Bertioga.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Bertioga $1,668

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 19% more expensive than in Bertioga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bertioga 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.5
$5.61 R$30.01
-60.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿640
$16.92 R$90.4
12.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$8.33 R$44.53
-33.37%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.4
$2.20 R$11.76
-24.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.51
$1.19 R$6.36
-46.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.29
$0.88 R$4.69
-64.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$2.29 R$12.24
3.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿123
$3.67 R$19.61
-0.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$0.81 R$4.32
140.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.41
$1.30 R$6.94
10.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿44.97
$1.18 R$6.31
12.71%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.0
$1.22 R$6.50
86.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿554
$9.39 R$50.2
75.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$3.43 R$18.33
-18.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$7.50 R$40.11
24.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.3
$2.22 R$11.87
5.86%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.75
$0.86 R$4.60
12.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.8
$0.92 R$4.89
73.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.98 R$5.22
53.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.06
$0.96 R$5.13
33.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.14
$0.77 R$4.12
42.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.79
$0.58 R$3.11
22.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.34
$0.55 R$2.93
-10.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$2.33 R$12.47
77.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿590
$4.78 R$25.57
266.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.4
$1.41 R$7.56
14.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$2.36 R$12.63
17.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.27
$0.94 R$5.05
-7.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,823
$39.18 R$209
38.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.00
$1.09 R$5.85
6.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.78
$0.72 R$3.86
-26.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.6
$7.82 R$41.82
-69.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$1.24 R$6.61
16.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿709.7K
$21.8K R$116.6K
-3.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.9K
$31.2K R$167.0K
-13.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,095
$61.2 R$327
1.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$9.13 R$48.82
33.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿678
$16.35 R$87.4
23.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,257
$24.42 R$131
52.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$27.88 R$149
-86.48%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$7.37 R$39.39
-11.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$73.3 R$392
904.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿497.6K
$10.3K R$55.0K
43.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,799
$56.1 R$300
-4.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿830
$45.79 R$245
-46.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,083
$54.7 R$292
67.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,424
$72.3 R$386
-0.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$330 R$1,765
46.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$227 R$1,212
36.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$628 R$3,360
60.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.3K
$452 R$2,415
40.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.6K
$1,364 R$7,290
73.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$1,242 R$6,637
27.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Bertioga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.81
-48.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bertioga: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Bertioga
$227 26.6% $82
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Bertioga
$158 32.6% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Bertioga
$103 5.2% $5.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Bertioga
$87 8.2% $7.8
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Bertioga
$123 59% $46
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Bertioga
$48 22.3% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Bertioga
$39 22.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $330 in Bertioga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $17 in Bertioga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $158 per month, with Bertioga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Bertioga
🕒 Local time
12:06 12:06 PM
02:06 2:06 AM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
64,188
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Bertioga 16,370 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Bertioga

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 Bertioga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bertioga cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Bertioga is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,177 in Bertioga 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.
What is the rent difference between Chiang Mai and Bertioga?
Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $330 in Bertioga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Bertioga?
Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Chiang Mai or in Bertioga?
Dining out is cheaper in Bertioga – a meal for two runs $17 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Chiang Mai or in Bertioga?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Bertioga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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