Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cariacica

For one person, living is cheaper in Cariacica: $880 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $540 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Cariacica
Learn more

Cariacica Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Cariacica

🇧🇷 Brazil

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $880 in Cariacica, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Cariacica $880

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,401 in Cariacica, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Cariacica $1,401

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,922 in Cariacica, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Cariacica $1,922

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Cariacica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Cariacica are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Cariacica 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.06 R$30.70

-62.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$31.76 R$161

-38.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.91 R$40.08

-29.08%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.10 R$10.63

-20.95%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.29 R$6.56

-45.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.82 R$4.18

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.99 R$10.08

21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.98 R$15.13

24.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.05 R$5.34

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.68 R$8.51

-16.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.24 R$6.26

5.65%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.15 R$10.90

1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$9.55 R$48.42

74.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.17 R$21.12

-33.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.46 R$42.91

7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.17 R$11.02

10.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.28 R$6.49

-19.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.18 R$6.01

38.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.51 R$7.67

-0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.25 R$6.34

3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.13 R$5.70

-1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.79 R$3.99

-8.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 R$3.93

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.47 R$12.51

74.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.00 R$40.53

124.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.33 R$6.72

18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.13 R$10.81

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.01 R$5.11

-14.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$43.96 R$223

21.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.33 R$6.72

-9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.89 R$4.53

-35.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.00 R$40.56

-70.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.27 R$6.45

13.39%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$24.0K R$121.5K

-13.52%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$33.2K R$168.3K

-19.26%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$74.3 R$377

-16.13%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$12.57 R$63.7

-3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$20.82 R$106

-4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$25.76 R$131

43.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$27.67 R$140

-86.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.24 R$36.69

-10.22%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$277 R$1,402

186.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,134 R$36.2K

107.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$55.3 R$280

-2.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$50.2 R$254

-50.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$89.1 R$451

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$73.7 R$374

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$361 R$1,831

26.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$244 R$1,236

22.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$675 R$3,423

34.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$477 R$2,416

16.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,741 R$8,828

10.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,183 R$5,996

22.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cariacica: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Cariacica

$244 27.7% 18.1% $54

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Cariacica

$192 21.8% 18.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Cariacica

$121 13.7% 11.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Cariacica

$108 12.2% 14.1% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Cariacica

$122 13.8% 54.9% $43

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cariacica

$54 6.1% 11.5% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cariacica

$40 4.6% 19.6% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $361 in Cariacica. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $32.00 in Cariacica. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $192 in Cariacica – so Cariacica wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Cariacica

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

19:51 7:51 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

353,491

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cariacica 15,770 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cariacica

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 Cariacica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,320 in Cariacica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cariacica, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $32.00 in Cariacica. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $880 in Cariacica. That's a gap of about 5%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cariacica, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Cariacica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cariacica – 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 Cariacica. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.