Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Catanduva

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Catanduva: $925 and $915 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Catanduva
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Catanduva Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Catanduva

🇧🇷 Brazil

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $915 in Catanduva.

Chiang Mai $925
Catanduva $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,473 in Catanduva.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Catanduva $1,473

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $2,031 in Catanduva.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Catanduva $2,031

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 1% more expensive than in Catanduva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Catanduva 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.78 R$49.56

-76.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$35.49 R$180

-44.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.17 R$46.47

-38.82%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.41 R$12.21

-31.12%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.27 R$6.44

-44.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.93 R$4.69

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.37 R$12.01

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.94 R$19.99

-5.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.06 R$5.37

83.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.10 R$10.63

-32.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.39 R$7.03

-5.76%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.95 R$9.86

11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$11.01 R$55.8

51.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.83 R$24.51

-42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.75 R$54.5

-15.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.29 R$11.62

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.44 R$7.28

-28.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.52 R$7.69

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.82 R$4.14

82.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.02 R$5.16

26.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.02 R$5.15

8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.94 R$4.77

-23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.85 R$4.33

-37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.48 R$12.55

73.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.01 R$40.62

124.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.50 R$7.60

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.63 R$13.33

7.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.04 R$5.28

-17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$44.88 R$228

18.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.19 R$6.02

1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.78 R$3.96

-26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.67 R$43.96

-72.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.16 R$5.86

24.14%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$24.0K R$121.6K

-13.59%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$32.7K R$165.6K

-17.95%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$65.0 R$330

-4.14%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.19 R$36.44

68.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.08 R$91.7

10.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$25.68 R$130

44.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$28.01 R$142

-86.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.81 R$34.52

-4.55%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$440 R$2,230

80.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.1K R$56.5K

32.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$59.5 R$302

-9.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$39.73 R$201

-38.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$88.6 R$449

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$59.7 R$303

19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$363 R$1,838

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$244 R$1,236

22.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$682 R$3,457

33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$477 R$2,416

16.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,706 R$8,649

13.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,185 R$6,006

21.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Catanduva: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Catanduva

$244 26.7% 18.1% $54

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Catanduva

$212 23.2% 9.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Catanduva

$111 12.2% 3% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Catanduva

$90 9.9% 4.3% $4.1

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Catanduva

$163 17.8% 108% $85

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Catanduva

$54 5.9% 10.9% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Catanduva

$39 4.3% 21.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $363 in Catanduva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $35.00 in Catanduva. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $212, with Catanduva cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Catanduva

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

19:59 7:59 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

115,791

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Catanduva 16,660 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Catanduva

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 Catanduva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Catanduva differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($925 vs $915 including rent). Catanduva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,388 in Chiang Mai and $1,372 in Catanduva 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $363 in Catanduva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Catanduva – 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.

At $915 in Catanduva versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Catanduva but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Catanduva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Catanduva 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 Catanduva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.