Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $827 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$827

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $827 in Contenda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Contenda $827

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,271 in Contenda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Contenda $1,271

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,714 in Contenda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Contenda $1,714

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Contenda are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Contenda 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$3.83 R$21.06

-44.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$10.98 R$60.4

69.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.16 R$39.41

-21.79%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.32 R$12.76

-28.45%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.25 R$6.88

-48.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.58 R$3.22

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$1.88 R$10.34

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.90 R$10.43

93.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$0.99 R$5.47

104.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$1.52 R$8.38

-7.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.19 R$6.53

16.81%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$2.39 R$13.14

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$9.16 R$50.4

80.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$3.69 R$20.28

-27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$7.50 R$41.28

20.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$2.28 R$12.56

5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.15 R$6.33

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.10 R$6.06

50.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.28 R$7.02

21.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.96 R$5.27

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.86 R$4.72

26.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.71 R$3.92

7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.71 R$3.91

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.83 R$15.55

45.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$3.80 R$20.90

371.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.37 R$7.56

18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$1.89 R$10.39

49.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.98 R$5.41

-5.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$42.51 R$234

24.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$1.13 R$6.22

4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.90 R$4.96

-81.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$9.42 R$51.9

-80.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.14 R$6.27

28.95%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$16.5K R$91.0K

27.16%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$20.5K R$112.7K

29.51%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$78.4 R$431

-20.15%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$7.59 R$41.76

52.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$18.25 R$100

11.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$24.15 R$133

56.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$25.75 R$142

-85.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$7.59 R$41.76

-14.23%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$258 R$1,418

182.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$10.3K R$56.6K

61.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$60.5 R$333

-11.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$67.3 R$371

-63.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$103 R$565

-11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$63.7 R$351

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$342 R$1,883

40.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$228 R$1,253

36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$627 R$3,450

68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$450 R$2,478

46.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,561 R$8,593

54.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,141 R$6,278

41.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.61

-47.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Contenda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Contenda

$228 27.5% 26.6% $82

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Contenda

$171 20.7% 27.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Contenda

$132 16% 22.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Contenda

$104 12.6% 10.3% $9.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Contenda

$100 12.1% 31.2% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Contenda

$52 6.3% 11.2% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Contenda

$39 4.8% 22.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $342 in Contenda. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $171 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Contenda

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

14:04 2:04 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

19,128

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Contenda 16,690 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Contenda

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,241 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $258 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $827 in Contenda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Contenda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Contenda is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.