Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Castanhal Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Castanhal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $858 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,351 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,844 in Castanhal.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 9% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Castanhal 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$5.75 R$29.60

-63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$35.32 R$182

-44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$7.17 R$36.96

-20.92%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.90 R$9.77

-4.74%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$1.34 R$6.92

-42.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.79 R$4.09

-55.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.98 R$10.21

11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.83 R$14.60

33.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.06 R$5.48

93.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.70 R$8.76

-11.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$1.27 R$6.54

10.24%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.09 R$10.78

8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$8.57 R$44.17

88.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$4.27 R$21.97

-32.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$8.12 R$41.85

16.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$2.37 R$12.22

13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.34 R$6.90

-18.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$1.20 R$6.18

35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$1.74 R$8.95

-16.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$1.09 R$5.61

17.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$1.22 R$6.29

-13.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.76 R$3.94

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.75 R$3.89

-29.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.32 R$11.96

82.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$8.78 R$45.21

108.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.15 R$5.94

41.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.87 R$9.64

55.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$1.01 R$5.22

-12.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$47.51 R$245

13.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.29 R$6.63

-9.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.81 R$4.16

-28.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$7.61 R$39.20

-68.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.30 R$6.69

11.54%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$20.4K R$105.0K

3.09%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$34.3K R$176.8K

-23.00%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$66.7 R$344

-4.57%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$11.49 R$59.2

12.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$23.06 R$119

-11.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$25.09 R$129

55.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$29.80 R$154

-86.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$6.94 R$35.76

-5.19%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$318 R$1,637

146.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$8,060 R$41.5K

82.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$52.8 R$272

4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$48.29 R$249

-48.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$92.3 R$476

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$71.5 R$368

3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$332 R$1,709

47.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$211 R$1,089

36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$716 R$3,690

24.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$400 R$2,060

30.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,553 R$8,000

27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$1,116 R$5,752

29.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.06

-49.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $332 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $35.00 in Castanhal. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $191, with Castanhal cheaper for home cooking.

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $1,286 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $332 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Chiang Mai versus $858 in Castanhal – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $858 in Castanhal versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $858 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Castanhal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.