Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Caldas da Rainha

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Caldas da Rainha
Learn more

Caldas da Rainha Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Caldas da Rainha

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Caldas da Rainha $1,532

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,352 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Caldas da Rainha $2,352

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,172 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Caldas da Rainha $3,172

Chiang Mai is about 41% cheaper than Caldas da Rainha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Caldas da Rainha is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$15.73 €14.03

-86.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$50.9 €45.38

-61.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$10.22 €9.12

-46.48%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$2.05 €1.83

-18.05%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$2.36 €2.10

-72.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$1.42 €1.26

-76.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$2.78 €2.48

-12.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$3.87 €3.46

-3.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.07 €0.95

92.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$1.44 €1.28

1.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.56 €1.39

-13.46%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$3.01 €2.69

-24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$10.38 €9.26

57.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$7.26 €6.48

-62.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$12.81 €11.44

-28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$1.87 €1.67

27.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.33 €1.18

-21.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.68 €1.50

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$2.46 €2.19

-41.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$1.92 €1.71

-32.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$1.88 €1.68

-40.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$1.29 €1.15

-45.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.84 €0.75

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$5.74 €5.12

-28.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$3.95 €3.53

350.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.64 €1.46

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$1.72 €1.54

66.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$3.67 €3.27

-76.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$34.14 €30.46

55.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$2.83 €2.53

-56.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.91 €1.71

-21.47%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$33.8K €30.2K

-38.28%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$37.7K €33.7K

-29.15%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$108 €96.0

-43.05%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$18.14 €16.19

-31.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$38.70 €34.54

-47.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$48.88 €43.62

-22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$27.78 €24.79

-86.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$8.78 €7.84

-24.83%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$399 €356

93.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$5,537 €4,941

160.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$95.8 €85.5

-42.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$42.87 €38.26

-41.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$112 €100

-19.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$68.4 €61.1

7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$891 €795

-48.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$671 €599

-56.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$1,401 €1,251

-34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,122 €1,001

-50.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$2,845 €2,539

-32.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$2,284 €2,038

-36.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$1,145 €1,022

-48.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.11

79.10%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Caldas da Rainha: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Caldas da Rainha

$671 43.4% 128% $377

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Caldas da Rainha

$230 14.9% 2.6% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Caldas da Rainha

$144 9.3% 30.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Caldas da Rainha

$164 10.6% 74.7% $70

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Caldas da Rainha

$218 14.1% 182% $141

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Caldas da Rainha

$52 * 3.3% 14.8% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Caldas da Rainha

$66 4.3% 29.9% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $891 in Caldas da Rainha. 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 93% higher in Caldas da Rainha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $230 in Caldas da Rainha – so Caldas da Rainha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇹 Caldas da Rainha

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

12:45 12:45 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

50,917

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Caldas da Rainha 10,150 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caldas da Rainha is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,298 in Caldas da Rainha. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $906 in Chiang Mai and $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha. That's a gap of about 69%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Caldas da Rainha at $1,532. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caldas da Rainha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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