Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Castelo Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,100 in Castelo Branco, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Castelo Branco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco.

Chiang Mai $938
Castelo Branco $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,666 in Castelo Branco.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Castelo Branco $1,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $2,233 in Castelo Branco.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Castelo Branco $2,233

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 15% less than in Castelo Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Castelo Branco 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$11.29 €10.05

-79.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$39.12 €34.80

-50.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$9.62 €8.56

-41.89%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.25 €1.11

37.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.41 €1.25

-54.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.26 €1.12

-73.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.09 €0.97

116.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.20 €1.96

77.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.17 €1.04

75.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.30 €1.16

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.45 €1.29

-11.72%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.87 €3.44

-41.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.76 €7.79

93.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.80 €5.16

-52.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$8.58 €7.63

9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.11 €1.88

13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.31 €1.17

-22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.75 €1.56

-8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.30 €2.05

-33.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.65 €1.47

-22.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.45 €1.29

-23.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.14 €1.02

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.81 €0.72

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.97 €5.31

-27.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$3.39 €3.01

423.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.17 €1.04

39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.95 €1.73

46.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.25 €1.11

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$22.20 €19.75

142.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.25 €2.00

-48.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.74 €0.66

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$16.67 €14.83

-85.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$2.04 €1.82

-28.92%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$33.5K €29.8K

-38.90%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$40.5K €36.0K

-34.50%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$120 €106

-47.91%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$19.03 €16.92

-35.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$31.99 €28.45

-37.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$39.32 €34.97

-3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$6.70 €5.96

0.15%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$678 €603

17.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$16.9K €15.1K

-12.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$78.7 €70.0

-32.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$44.71 €39.77

-43.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$82.1 €73.0

11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$67.6 €60.2

8.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$458 €407

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$363 €323

-16.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$796 €708

15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$605 €538

-8.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,574 €1,400

21.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,322 €1,176

8.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,617 €1,438

-63.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.85

44.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Castelo Branco

$363 33% 19.1% $58

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4% 14.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2% 12.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5% 80.4% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1% 95.8% $76

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Castelo Branco

$33 3% 45.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8% 2.7% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 172% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $39.00 in Castelo Branco. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $203, with Castelo Branco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

52,291

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Castelo Branco 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Castelo Branco

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 Castelo Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 172% lower in Castelo Branco. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 143% less than in Castelo Branco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Castelo Branco. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Castelo Branco, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Castelo Branco 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Castelo Branco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.