Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cabo Frio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
Learn more

Cabo Frio Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Cabo Frio

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $625 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Cabo Frio $625

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,031 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Cabo Frio $1,031

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,438 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Cabo Frio $1,438

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Cabo Frio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Cabo Frio are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cabo Frio 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$5.58 R$30.63

-61.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$27.85 R$153

-33.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$6.46 R$35.46

-13.31%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.62 R$8.90

2.47%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.26 R$6.91

-48.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.50 R$2.75

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.13 R$6.20

105.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$1.79 R$9.84

105.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$0.77 R$4.22

162.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.41 R$7.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$0.76 R$4.19

82.89%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.43 R$7.85

65.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$7.20 R$39.49

129.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$3.18 R$17.47

-16.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$9.19 R$50.4

-1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.77 R$9.71

35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.10 R$6.06

-5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.90 R$4.95

84.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.18 R$6.50

32.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.64 R$3.51

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.75 R$4.14

45.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.53 R$2.92

43.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.54 R$2.94

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.50 R$8.21

174.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$5.50 R$30.20

226.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$0.88 R$4.81

84.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.32 R$7.24

113.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$1.25 R$6.87

-25.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$74.7 R$410

-29.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.22 R$6.68

-3.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.73 R$4.00

-76.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$7.24 R$39.72

-75.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.08 R$5.91

36.11%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$19.7K R$108.2K

6.58%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$28.6K R$156.8K

-7.21%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$54.1 R$297

15.68%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$7.04 R$38.66

64.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$12.74 R$69.9

59.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$20.35 R$112

86.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$4.39 R$24.10

48.29%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$135 R$740

439.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$2,436 R$13.4K

580.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$42.09 R$231

27.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$37.34 R$205

-33.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$51.9 R$285

74.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$44.49 R$244

61.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$418 R$2,295

15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$108 R$594

186.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$611 R$3,355

73.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$262 R$1,439

151.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$256 R$1,407

131.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.67

-47.80%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cabo Frio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3% 65.1% $202

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1% 36.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7% 27% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8% 21.8% $21

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Cabo Frio

$100 16% 30.3% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5% 44.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7% 42.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $418 in Cabo Frio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $28 in Cabo Frio. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $151 in Cabo Frio – so Cabo Frio wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

06:38 6:38 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

222,161

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Cabo Frio 15,950 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $938 in Cabo Frio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $625 in Cabo Frio. That makes Cabo Frio about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cabo Frio. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.