Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Goiania

For one person, living is cheaper in Goiania: $880 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Goiania
🇧🇷 Brazil
$880
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $880 in Goiania, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $938
  • Goiania $880

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,497 in Goiania, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,426
  • Goiania $1,497

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,114 in Goiania, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,914
  • Goiania $2,114

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Goiania, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Goiania are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Goiania 35% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.26 ฿75.4
$5.95 R$30.18
-62.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.18 ฿641
$24.51 R$124
-21.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.59 ฿187
$6.94 R$35.16
-19.45%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ฿57.6
$1.79 R$9.10
-3.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$1.07 R$5.43
-40.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.18
$0.78 R$3.97
-57.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿78.7
$2.65 R$13.44
-10.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 ฿130
$3.08 R$15.60
26.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ฿68.6
$0.94 R$4.77
118.09%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 ฿46.70
$1.93 R$9.76
-27.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.89
$1.36 R$6.91
-5.88%
Eggs
$2.25 ฿75.3
$1.95 R$9.90
15.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.94 ฿566
$7.95 R$40.31
113.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.74 ฿91.6
$3.75 R$19.03
-26.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.36 ฿313
$6.81 R$34.50
37.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.3
$1.57 R$7.94
52.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ฿33.92
$1.77 R$8.99
-42.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 ฿53.9
$0.86 R$4.38
87.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 ฿50.7
$2.04 R$10.35
-25.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.90
$1.11 R$5.64
15.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.22
$1.58 R$8.03
-29.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.09
$0.75 R$3.79
-4.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.54
$0.81 R$4.13
-35.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33 ฿145
$2.77 R$14.03
56.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.73 ฿593
$10.61 R$53.8
67.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$2.12 R$10.76
-23.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.3
$1.66 R$8.43
71.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 ฿28.31
$0.89 R$4.49
-4.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ฿1,801
$35.56 R$180
51.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 ฿39.18
$1.29 R$6.54
-9.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿19.00
$1.07 R$5.43
-46.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.37 ฿79.2
$5.97 R$30.28
-60.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$1.28 R$6.47
13.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K ฿684.3K
$24.0K R$121.6K
-14.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿886.1K
$32.7K R$165.9K
-19.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$71.6 R$363
-12.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.27 ฿410
$13.80 R$69.9
-11.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.97 ฿668
$22.00 R$112
-9.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.91 ฿1,267
$24.93 R$126
52.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.76 ฿126
$21.34 R$108
-82.38%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 ฿224
$9.91 R$50.3
-32.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 ฿26.6K
$431 R$2,186
84.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿495.7K
$8,516 R$43.2K
74.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$55.2 R$280
-3.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.05 ฿837
$67.7 R$343
-63.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 ฿3,062
$86.0 R$436
6.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5 ฿2,455
$106 R$535
-30.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$464 ฿15.5K
$324 R$1,640
43.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ฿10.2K
$232 R$1,178
31.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$915 ฿30.6K
$974 R$4,940
-6.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 ฿18.5K
$693 R$3,511
-20.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,912 ฿63.9K
$1,648 R$8,352
16.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,438 ฿48.1K
$1,551 R$7,863
-7.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Goiania
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
$383 R$1,942
55.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.95
-49.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Goiania: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$305
Goiania
$232 23.8% $72
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$238
Goiania
$192 19.5% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$110
Goiania
$142 29.2% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$95
Goiania
$107 13.5% $13
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Goiania
$117 47.8% $38
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Goiania
$46 25.4% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Goiania
$45 12.8% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $324 in Goiania. 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 55% 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 $25.00 in Goiania. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $192 in Goiania – so Goiania wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Goiania
🕒 Local time
07:16 7:16 AM
21:16 9:16 PM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
1,437,366
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Goiania 16,650 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Goiania

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 Goiania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Goiania?
Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Goiania, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Goiania?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,320 in Goiania. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Goiania?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Goiania, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Goiania?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $431 in Goiania. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Goiania?
Groceries cost about 24% 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.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Chiang Mai or in Goiania?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Goiania, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Goiania it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Goiania?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Goiania costs $880 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Goiania?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Goiania?
If budget matters most, go with Goiania. 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.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?