Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Curitiba

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,005 in Curitiba, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Curitiba
Learn more

Curitiba Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Curitiba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,005 in Curitiba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Curitiba $1,005

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,555 in Curitiba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Curitiba $1,555

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,105 in Curitiba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Curitiba $2,105

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Curitiba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Curitiba are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Curitiba 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$7.58 R$40.58

-70.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$36.75 R$197

-48.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.42 R$45.05

-34.09%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.61 R$13.99

-36.02%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.04 R$5.54

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.87 R$4.68

-64.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.57 R$13.76

-8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.80 R$20.33

-3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.01 R$5.40

93.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.71 R$9.17

-15.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.23 R$6.59

8.13%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.41 R$12.92

-5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$9.71 R$52.0

69.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.62 R$24.72

-39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.70 R$51.9

-4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.67 R$8.95

40.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.00 R$5.34

-3.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.98 R$5.24

63.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.29 R$6.88

16.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.76 R$4.07

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.74 R$3.97

48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.69 R$3.72

2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.82 R$4.40

-40.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.84 R$15.19

45.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.60 R$35.34

165.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.18 R$6.31

36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.35 R$12.57

18.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.10 R$5.91

-20.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$67.2 R$359

-19.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.19 R$6.39

-2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.72 R$3.87

-26.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.52 R$29.56

-56.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.27 R$6.78

14.17%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$22.6K R$120.8K

-6.68%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$31.5K R$168.5K

-14.45%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$98.2 R$526

-36.70%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$13.78 R$73.8

-11.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$21.88 R$117

-8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$25.83 R$138

44.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$18.57 R$99.4

-79.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.49 R$40.10

-13.35%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$358 R$1,916

105.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.5K R$56.1K

40.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$52.2 R$279

2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$51.7 R$276

-52.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$88.3 R$473

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$74.5 R$398

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$464 R$2,481

4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$301 R$1,608

2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$779 R$4,171

29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$529 R$2,829

19.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,306 R$12.3K

2.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,708 R$9,137

-6.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$650 R$3,481

-9.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.54

-51.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Curitiba

$301 29.9% 2.7% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Curitiba

$188 18.7% 19.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Curitiba

$120 11.9% 10.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Curitiba

$134 13.3% 41.7% $39

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Curitiba

$145 14.5% 87.4% $68

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Curitiba

$76 7.6% 24.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Curitiba

$41 4.1% 18.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $464 in Curitiba. 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 10% higher in Curitiba. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $37 in Curitiba. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $188 in Curitiba – so Curitiba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Curitiba

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

06:14 6:14 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,773,718

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Curitiba 16,670 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Curitiba

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 Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,508 in Curitiba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $464 in Curitiba. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $358 in Curitiba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Curitiba – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,005 in Curitiba. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,005 in Curitiba. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Curitiba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.