Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Guarulhos

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Guarulhos: $925 and $964 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Guarulhos
Learn more

Guarulhos Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $964 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Guarulhos $964

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,764 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Guarulhos $1,764

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,565 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Guarulhos $2,565

Chiang Mai is about 4% cheaper than Guarulhos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Guarulhos are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Guarulhos 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.69 R$44.06

-73.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$40.01 R$203

-50.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.00 R$45.61

-37.67%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.46 R$12.50

-32.52%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.35 R$6.82

-48.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.86 R$4.37

-63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.44 R$12.39

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.88 R$19.65

-4.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.05 R$5.32

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.88 R$9.52

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.33 R$6.76

-1.50%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.46 R$12.47

-11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.61 R$63.9

32.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.79 R$24.27

-42.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.70 R$54.3

-14.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.38 R$12.07

0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.72 R$8.71

-40.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.53 R$7.74

6.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.53 R$7.76

-1.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.26 R$6.40

2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.18 R$6.00

-5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.98 R$4.97

-26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.85 R$4.32

-37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.49 R$12.65

73.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.88 R$50.1

81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.50 R$7.62

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.49 R$12.64

14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.24 R$6.30

-30.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$105 R$532

-49.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.17 R$5.94

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.72 R$3.64

-20.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.49 R$43.03

-72.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.28 R$6.50

12.50%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$23.6K R$119.5K

-12.09%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$34.2K R$173.5K

-21.67%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$91.6 R$465

-31.98%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$14.98 R$75.9

-19.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$22.33 R$113

-10.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$28.22 R$143

31.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$10.05 R$50.9

-35.32%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$429 R$2,173

84.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.0K R$56.0K

34.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$65.1 R$330

-17.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$57.1 R$289

-56.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$92.2 R$467

-1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$79.5 R$403

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$349 R$1,770

30.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$158 R$801

88.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$995 R$5,042

-8.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$768 R$3,895

-27.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,944 R$9,855

-0.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,480 R$7,502

-2.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$378 R$1,914

56.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.25

-50.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Guarulhos

$158 16.4% 47% $140

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Guarulhos

$227 23.5% 3.7% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Guarulhos

$132 13.7% 22.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Guarulhos

$129 13.4% 36.6% $35

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Guarulhos

$155 16.1% 97.1% $76

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Guarulhos

$115 11.9% 88.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Guarulhos

$48 5% 3.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $349 in Guarulhos. 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 57% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $40.00 in Guarulhos. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $227 in Guarulhos – so Guarulhos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Guarulhos

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

09:34 9:34 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,291,771

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Guarulhos 16,410 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Guarulhos

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarulhos costs about 4% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,446 in Guarulhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $429 in Guarulhos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Guarulhos – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Guarulhos at $964. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guarulhos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $964 in Guarulhos. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guarulhos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.