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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $817 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $1,305 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $1,793 in Chapeco.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 6% more expensive than Chapeco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Chapeco 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$5.29 R$26.80

-62.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$34.90 R$177

-46.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$5.48 R$27.75

41.42%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.85 R$9.38

3.78%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.69 R$3.49

14.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.73 R$3.72

-50.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.41 R$7.14

56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.21 R$11.20

65.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.01 R$5.09

63.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.09 R$5.52

49.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$1.23 R$6.23

-3.25%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.60 R$8.08

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$8.17 R$41.35

95.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$7.37 R$37.29

-58.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$7.38 R$37.36

47.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$2.04 R$10.33

35.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.11 R$5.61

6.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.14 R$5.75

43.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$1.50 R$7.62

1.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.86 R$4.33

60.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$1.10 R$5.57

8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.71 R$3.57

-1.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.67 R$3.39

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$2.31 R$11.68

98.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$9.83 R$49.74

68.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.28 R$6.46

42.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.08 R$10.53

53.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.80 R$4.07

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$38.15 R$193

-50.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.09 R$5.54

24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.70 R$3.55

91.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$6.31 R$31.96

24.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.11 R$5.60

10.81%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$21.6K R$109.4K

0.07%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$26.6K R$134.9K

-15.38%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$61.4 R$311

14.89%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$8.33 R$42.17

64.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$17.78 R$90.0

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$24.17 R$122

71.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$32.75 R$166

-78.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$6.20 R$31.40

-6.94%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$267 R$1,353

14.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$6,567 R$33.2K

122.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$48.85 R$247

14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$41.70 R$211

-37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$77.2 R$391

11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$65.3 R$330

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$294 R$1,486

46.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$260 R$1,318

-8.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$559 R$2,831

46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$466 R$2,359

9.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$1,637 R$8,288

21.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$1,069 R$5,413

38.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$434 R$2,195

42.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

-54.21%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $294 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 43% 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 $35.00 in Chapeco. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $190, with Chapeco 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 Chapeco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chiang Mai pays 43% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $294 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chapeco runs roughly 104% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $307 in Chiang Mai versus $267 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chapeco gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $817 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Chapeco 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 Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.