Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Campinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,006 in Campinas, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. The total is higher in Campinas despite lower rent and utilities.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Campinas
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,006
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,006 in Campinas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $938
  • Campinas $1,006

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,680 in Campinas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,426
  • Campinas $1,680

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,354 in Campinas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,914
  • Campinas $2,354

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Campinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Campinas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Campinas 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.26 ฿75.4
$10.02 R$50.8
-77.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.18 ฿641
$36.21 R$184
-47.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.59 ฿187
$8.91 R$45.15
-37.26%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ฿57.6
$2.38 R$12.07
-27.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$1.35 R$6.84
-52.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.18
$0.89 R$4.50
-62.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿78.7
$2.47 R$12.51
-4.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 ฿130
$4.07 R$20.65
-4.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ฿68.6
$1.03 R$5.22
99.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 ฿46.70
$1.98 R$10.04
-29.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.89
$1.39 R$7.04
-7.91%
Eggs
$2.25 ฿75.3
$2.56 R$12.98
-12.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.94 ฿566
$10.67 R$54.1
58.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.74 ฿91.6
$4.75 R$24.10
-42.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.36 ฿313
$10.73 R$54.4
-12.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.3
$2.42 R$12.28
-0.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ฿33.92
$1.67 R$8.45
-39.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 ฿53.9
$1.60 R$8.13
0.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 ฿50.7
$1.37 R$6.92
10.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.90
$1.30 R$6.60
-1.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.22
$1.25 R$6.33
-11.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.09
$0.94 R$4.76
-23.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.54
$0.88 R$4.47
-40.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33 ฿145
$2.57 R$13.00
68.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.73 ฿593
$8.38 R$42.50
111.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$1.53 R$7.75
6.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.3
$2.49 R$12.61
14.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 ฿28.31
$1.15 R$5.81
-26.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ฿1,801
$43.96 R$223
22.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 ฿39.18
$1.19 R$6.03
-1.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿19.00
$0.73 R$3.71
-21.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.37 ฿79.2
$8.64 R$43.80
-72.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$1.35 R$6.83
7.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K ฿684.3K
$23.6K R$119.7K
-13.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿886.1K
$32.8K R$166.2K
-19.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$66.3 R$336
-5.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.27 ฿410
$14.65 R$74.3
-16.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.97 ฿668
$22.84 R$116
-12.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.91 ฿1,267
$29.36 R$149
29.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.76 ฿126
$36.62 R$186
-89.73%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 ฿224
$8.08 R$40.96
-16.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 ฿26.6K
$439 R$2,227
81.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿495.7K
$10.9K R$55.0K
36.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$66.1 R$335
-19.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.05 ฿837
$57.6 R$292
-56.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 ฿3,062
$89.7 R$455
2.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5 ฿2,455
$80.0 R$405
-8.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$464 ฿15.5K
$442 R$2,242
4.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ฿10.2K
$287 R$1,454
6.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$915 ฿30.6K
$979 R$4,962
-6.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 ฿18.5K
$687 R$3,482
-19.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,912 ฿63.9K
$2,168 R$11.0K
-11.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,438 ฿48.1K
$1,251 R$6,341
14.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Campinas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
$576 R$2,922
3.25%
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 13, 2026

Last update for Campinas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$305
Campinas
$287 5.8% $18
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$238
Campinas
$219 7.8% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$110
Campinas
$132 20.5% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$95
Campinas
$104 9.7% $9.2
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Campinas
$165 109% $86
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Campinas
$53 12.9% $7.9
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Campinas
$46 11.3% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $442 in Campinas. 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 3% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $36.00 in Campinas. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $219 in Campinas – so Campinas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Campinas
🕒 Local time
19:52 7:52 PM
09:52 9:52 AM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
1,139,047
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Campinas 16,460 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Campinas

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 Campinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Campinas?
Campinas costs about 7% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Campinas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,509 in Campinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Campinas?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Campinas?
Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Campinas – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Campinas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $36.00 in Campinas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chiang Mai or in Campinas?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Campinas at $1,006. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Campinas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Campinas?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,006 in Campinas. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Campinas?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Campinas?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Campinas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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