Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Guarapuava

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarapuava: $742 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Guarapuava, Brazil
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Guarapuava
🇧🇷 Brazil
$742
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $742 in Guarapuava, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Guarapuava $742

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,202 in Guarapuava, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Guarapuava $1,202

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,662 in Guarapuava, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Guarapuava $1,662

Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Guarapuava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Guarapuava are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Guarapuava 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿72.0
$4.63 R$25.28
-54.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿628
$22.39 R$122
-16.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿189
$6.39 R$34.89
-12.36%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿56.1
$1.90 R$10.36
-12.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.83
$1.17 R$6.40
-44.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.29
$0.74 R$4.06
-59.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.4
$1.53 R$8.34
51.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿124
$2.35 R$12.83
56.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.0
$1.09 R$5.94
85.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.51
$1.24 R$6.80
13.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.96
$1.16 R$6.34
19.83%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.9
$1.63 R$8.88
45.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿557
$7.25 R$39.59
127.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿90.1
$3.56 R$19.44
-25.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿304
$8.13 R$44.40
10.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.9
$1.68 R$9.17
42.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.13
$0.52 R$2.85
100.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$0.88 R$4.81
88.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.6
$1.26 R$6.89
23.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.76
$1.08 R$5.87
14.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.66
$1.00 R$5.45
9.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.70
$0.77 R$4.22
-1.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.35
$0.75 R$4.11
-32.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$2.44 R$13.31
68.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿605
$9.52 R$52.0
88.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$2.00 R$10.91
-19.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿95.2
$2.27 R$12.37
24.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.53
$0.96 R$5.24
-3.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,785
$42.04 R$230
25.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.70
$1.05 R$5.72
12.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.79
$1.05 R$5.72
-83.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿61.1
$2.53 R$13.84
-28.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$0.99 R$5.41
48.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿708.9K
$29.3K R$160.1K
-28.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.6K
$30.7K R$167.9K
-13.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,111
$80.5 R$439
-22.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿392
$8.17 R$44.62
41.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿685
$21.66 R$118
-6.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,278
$27.77 R$152
36.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿125
$14.15 R$77.3
-73.85%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿220
$5.47 R$29.86
19.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.5K
$198 R$1,079
268.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿559.2K
$3,506 R$19.1K
372.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,807
$31.05 R$170
72.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿837
$30.24 R$165
-17.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,050
$111 R$604
-18.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,428
$93.6 R$511
-23.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$219 R$1,194
120.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.5K
$152 R$828
104.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
$526 R$2,874
101.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.2K
$394 R$2,150
67.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.6K
$1,593 R$8,701
51.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.3K
$552 R$3,012
191.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Guarapuava
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.1K
$457 R$2,497
30.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.5
-46.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Guarapuava
$152 51.1% $158
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Guarapuava
$171 27.9% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Guarapuava
$119 10.3% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Guarapuava
$110 16.8% $16
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Guarapuava
$99 29.2% $22
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Guarapuava
$52 11.1% $6.5
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Guarapuava
$39 24% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $219 in Guarapuava. 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 30% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Guarapuava. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $171 in Guarapuava – so Guarapuava wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Guarapuava
🕒 Local time
23:42 11:42 PM
13:42 1:42 PM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
182,093
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Guarapuava 16,890 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Guarapuava

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 Guarapuava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Guarapuava?
Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Guarapuava, 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 Guarapuava?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,113 in Guarapuava. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Guarapuava?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarapuava, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $219 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Guarapuava?
Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $198 in Guarapuava. 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 Guarapuava?
Groceries cost about 39% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Guarapuava – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Guarapuava?
If budget matters most, go with Guarapuava. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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