Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Foz do Iguaçu

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Foz do Iguaçu: $938 and $910 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Foz do Iguaçu
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Foz do Iguaçu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Foz do Iguaçu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $910 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Foz do Iguaçu $910

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,390 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Foz do Iguaçu $1,390

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,870 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Foz do Iguaçu $1,870

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Foz do Iguaçu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Foz do Iguaçu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Foz do Iguaçu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$6.08 R$30.80

-62.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$40.68 R$206

-52.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.11 R$36.04

-21.38%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.90 R$9.65

-9.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.38 R$6.98

-53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.58 R$2.94

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.64 R$8.32

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.99 R$15.15

30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.95 R$4.81

115.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.51 R$7.64

-7.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.70 R$8.62

-24.71%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.69 R$13.66

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.04 R$40.74

110.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.11 R$20.85

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$8.43 R$42.72

11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.15 R$10.90

11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.19 R$6.02

-15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.97 R$4.92

65.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.17 R$5.91

29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.97 R$4.94

31.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.09 R$5.51

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.88 R$4.47

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.88 R$4.47

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.95 R$14.94

46.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.03 R$40.72

120.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.89 R$9.56

-13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.99 R$15.18

-4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.97 R$4.92

-12.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$52.4 R$266

2.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.02 R$5.16

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.44 R$7.28

-60.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.24 R$6.30

16.94%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$20.3K R$103.1K

0.65%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$72.2 R$366

-13.63%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$19.15 R$97.1

-35.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$20.40 R$103

-2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$19.97 R$101

89.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$5.98 R$30.33

-37.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$9.29 R$47.09

-27.77%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$242 R$1,227

229.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$47.64 R$242

11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$17.75 R$90.0

41.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$50.3 R$255

82.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$39.21 R$199

87.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$377 R$1,912

23.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$320 R$1,622

-4.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$711 R$3,603

28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$508 R$2,573

8.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,279 R$6,485

49.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$897 R$4,547

60.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$397 R$2,015

49.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.16

-31.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Foz do Iguaçu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Foz do Iguaçu

$320 35.2% 5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Foz do Iguaçu

$190 20.9% 20% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Foz do Iguaçu

$70 7.7% 36.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Foz do Iguaçu

$112 12.3% 18.1% $17

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Foz do Iguaçu

$115 12.6% 45.3% $36

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Foz do Iguaçu

$64 7.1% 5.2% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Foz do Iguaçu

$39 4.2% 24.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $377 in Foz do Iguaçu. 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 50% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $41.00 in Foz do Iguaçu. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $190 in Foz do Iguaçu – so Foz do Iguaçu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Foz do Iguaçu

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

22:45 10:45 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

285,415

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Foz do Iguaçu 17,200 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Foz do Iguaçu, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,364 in Foz do Iguaçu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $242 in Foz do Iguaçu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Foz do Iguaçu, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Foz do Iguaçu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Foz do Iguaçu costs $910 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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