Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brazzaville

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,918 in Brazzaville, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Brazzaville
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Brazzaville Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Brazzaville

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,918 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Brazzaville $1,918

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,926 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Brazzaville $2,926

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,934 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Brazzaville $3,934

Chiang Mai is about 51% cheaper than Brazzaville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Brazzaville is 42% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$8.86 FCFA 5,174

-75.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$49.29 FCFA 28.8K

-62.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$5.07 FCFA 2,959

10.45%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.06 FCFA 2,372

-59.11%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$1.65 FCFA 962

-60.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$1.37 FCFA 799

-78.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$5.93 FCFA 3,464

-60.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.81 FCFA 2,223

-3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$2.89 FCFA 1,685

-30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$4.86 FCFA 2,834

-70.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$3.06 FCFA 1,785

-54.58%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.92 FCFA 1,704

-18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$15.97 FCFA 9,321

3.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$9.22 FCFA 5,385

-71.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$14.44 FCFA 8,426

-37.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.40 FCFA 1,399

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.67 FCFA 974

-37.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$3.73 FCFA 2,179

-55.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$2.95 FCFA 1,721

-47.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$2.64 FCFA 1,543

-53.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$2.31 FCFA 1,350

-52.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.31 FCFA 765

-41.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.87 FCFA 508

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.74 FCFA 2,182

10.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$10.32 FCFA 6,024

73.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.25 FCFA 145

272.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$23.54 FCFA 13.7K

124.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$1.68 FCFA 978

-29.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$1.32 FCFA 768

-87.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$6.88 FCFA 4,017

-73.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.35 FCFA 786

8.89%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$29.6K FCFA 17.3M

-28.99%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$27.2K FCFA 15.9M

-2.64%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$817 FCFA 477.0K

-92.34%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$16.78 FCFA 9,794

-30.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$43.23 FCFA 25.2K

-53.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$26.04 FCFA 15.2K

45.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$13.90 FCFA 8,111

-73.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$5.65 FCFA 3,298

15.22%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$52.0 FCFA 30.4K

1298.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,164 FCFA 679.4K

-58.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$448 FCFA 261.3K

-30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$3,235 FCFA 1.9M

-67.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$1,478 FCFA 862.8K

-55.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$3,410 FCFA 2.0M

-29.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$2,999 FCFA 1.8M

-46.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$461 FCFA 269.1K

29.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.54

-14.83%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brazzaville: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Brazzaville

$448 23.3% 44.5% $138

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Brazzaville

$339 * 17.7% 43.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Brazzaville

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Brazzaville

$877 45.7% 829% $783

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Brazzaville

$184 9.6% 141% $108

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Brazzaville

$33 1.7% 44.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Brazzaville

$37 2% 26.6% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,164 in Brazzaville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $49 in Brazzaville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $339 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇬 Brazzaville

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

06:22 6:22 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,932,610 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 584 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Brazzaville 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Brazzaville

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 Brazzaville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazzaville costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,878 in Brazzaville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,164 in Brazzaville.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $49 in Brazzaville. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,918 in Brazzaville. That makes Chiang Mai about 51% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,918 in Brazzaville. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,918 in Brazzaville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.