Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cuiaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,018 in Cuiaba, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuiaba
Learn more

Cuiaba Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Cuiaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,018 in Cuiaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Cuiaba $1,018

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,540 in Cuiaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Cuiaba $1,540

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,062 in Cuiaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Cuiaba $2,062

Chiang Mai is about 8% cheaper than Cuiaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Cuiaba are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cuiaba 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$5.16 R$27.77

-56.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$27.37 R$147

-30.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.52 R$40.48

-26.20%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.71 R$9.21

-2.34%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.36 R$7.32

-52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.72 R$3.85

-56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.91 R$10.25

23.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.54 R$13.65

44.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.14 R$6.12

71.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.49 R$8.03

-3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.69 R$9.08

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.95 R$15.87

-22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$16.16 R$87.0

1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.24 R$22.83

-34.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.25 R$55.1

-9.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.21 R$11.88

6.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.33 R$12.55

-58.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.40 R$12.89

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.86 R$15.38

-47.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.38 R$12.79

-46.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.97 R$10.61

-44.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.53 R$8.25

-53.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.39 R$7.48

-64.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.17 R$11.67

90.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.90 R$58.7

60.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.83 R$9.83

-12.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.88 R$15.52

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.95 R$5.12

-8.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$35.73 R$192

51.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.20 R$6.47

20.83%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$28.1K R$151.0K

-24.93%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$31.3K R$168.3K

-13.84%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$165 R$886

-62.22%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$17.94 R$96.5

-32.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$24.18 R$130

-16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$24.40 R$131

52.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$18.93 R$102

-80.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.66 R$30.43

14.66%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$408 R$2,194

80.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$8,796 R$47.3K

67.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$72.2 R$389

-26.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$46.11 R$248

-46.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$141 R$759

-35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$64.1 R$345

12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$310 R$1,668

55.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$218 R$1,176

41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$734 R$3,951

37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$391 R$2,102

62.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,266 R$6,811

86.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$742 R$3,991

114.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$365 R$1,965

61.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

16.1

-65.40%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Cuiaba

$218 21.5% 29.3% $90

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Cuiaba

$265 26% 13% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Cuiaba

$146 14.3% 34% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cuiaba

$207 20.3% 119% $112

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Cuiaba

$107 10.5% 38.3% $30

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cuiaba

$40 * 3.9% 35.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cuiaba

$36 3.5% 29% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $310 in Cuiaba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Cuiaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $265 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Cuiaba

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

07:09 7:09 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

650,877

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cuiaba 17,350 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cuiaba

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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba costs about 9% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,527 in Cuiaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuiaba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $310 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $408 in Cuiaba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Cuiaba, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,018 in Cuiaba. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,018 in Cuiaba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.