Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cotia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotia: $868 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Cotia
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Cotia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Cotia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $868 in Cotia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Cotia $868

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,421 in Cotia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Cotia $1,421

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,974 in Cotia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Cotia $1,974

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Cotia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Cotia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cotia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$6.41 R$35.19

-66.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$37.71 R$207

-50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$8.32 R$45.65

-32.69%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.44 R$13.39

-31.97%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.32 R$7.25

-50.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$1.08 R$5.94

-72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.66 R$14.60

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$4.02 R$22.04

-8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.12 R$6.12

80.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.75 R$9.62

-19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.15 R$6.32

20.87%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.68 R$14.69

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$11.26 R$61.8

46.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$4.33 R$23.75

-38.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$10.07 R$55.2

-10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.53 R$13.91

-5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.66 R$9.12

-37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.46 R$8.03

13.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.76 R$9.65

-11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.34 R$7.33

-7.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.21 R$6.63

-9.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.84 R$4.61

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.69 R$3.79

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.63 R$14.43

56.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$8.28 R$45.46

116.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.60 R$8.80

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.31 R$12.70

22.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.94 R$5.18

-1.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$42.38 R$233

24.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.21 R$6.62

-2.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.89 R$4.90

-80.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$8.84 R$48.50

-79.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.23 R$6.75

19.51%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$21.8K R$119.8K

-3.70%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$31.7K R$174.0K

-16.36%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$41.28 R$227

51.55%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$13.58 R$74.5

-14.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$16.86 R$92.6

20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$24.35 R$134

55.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$25.53 R$140

-85.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$7.35 R$40.32

-11.43%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$401 R$2,203

81.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$7,110 R$39.0K

133.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$52.8 R$290

1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$54.4 R$299

-54.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$90.4 R$496

0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$78.9 R$433

-8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$340 R$1,865

41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$230 R$1,261

34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$643 R$3,530

64.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$452 R$2,479

45.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,611 R$8,840

50.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,144 R$6,281

40.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.12

-49.91%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cotia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Cotia

$230 26.5% 25.8% $80

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Cotia

$214 24.7% 9.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Cotia

$124 14.3% 14.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cotia

$72 8.3% 24.1% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Cotia

$136 15.7% 78.2% $60

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Cotia

$52 6% 11.6% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cotia

$39 4.5% 23.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $340 in Cotia. 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 $38 in Cotia. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $214 in Cotia – so Cotia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Cotia

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

00:35 12:35 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

274,413

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cotia 16,450 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cotia

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 Cotia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Cotia, 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 $1,301 in Cotia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $401 in Cotia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $868 in Cotia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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