Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ilheus

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilheus: $782 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Ilheus
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Ilheus Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ilheus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $782 in Ilheus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Ilheus $782

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,268 in Ilheus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ilheus $1,268

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,754 in Ilheus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ilheus $1,754

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Ilheus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ilheus are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ilheus 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.91 R$21.48

-45.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$29.38 R$161

-36.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$7.24 R$39.75

-22.65%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.82 R$10.00

-8.79%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.23 R$6.75

-47.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.81 R$4.45

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.26 R$12.40

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.16 R$17.33

16.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$0.99 R$5.46

104.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.51 R$8.30

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.15 R$6.34

20.87%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.16 R$11.86

9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$17.30 R$95.0

-4.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$3.81 R$20.90

-29.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$7.37 R$40.46

22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.12 R$11.63

13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.26 R$6.90

-17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.08 R$5.91

53.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.41 R$7.72

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.11 R$6.11

11.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.04 R$5.70

4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.77 R$4.23

-1.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.74 R$4.06

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.36 R$12.93

74.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$7.04 R$38.63

154.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.16 R$6.34

39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.84 R$10.12

53.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.97 R$5.35

-4.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$45.03 R$247

17.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.22 R$6.70

-3.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.81 R$4.42

-79.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$7.01 R$38.45

-74.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.07 R$5.86

37.38%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$18.9K R$103.8K

11.14%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$34.9K R$191.7K

-24.08%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$72.3 R$397

-13.44%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$11.46 R$62.9

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$19.12 R$105

6.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$20.38 R$112

85.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$22.39 R$123

-83.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$7.37 R$40.42

-11.67%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$275 R$1,511

164.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$6,712 R$36.8K

146.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$49.75 R$273

7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$39.59 R$217

-37.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$83.0 R$456

8.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$65.7 R$361

9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$204 R$1,118

136.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$180 R$990

71.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$522 R$2,864

102.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$394 R$2,160

67.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,502 R$8,241

61.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,297 R$7,118

24.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$560 R$3,071

6.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ilheus

$180 23.1% 41.8% $129

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ilheus

$202 25.8% 14.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ilheus

$107 13.7% 1.1% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ilheus

$103 13.2% 8.9% $8.4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ilheus

$101 12.9% 31.5% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ilheus

$54 6.9% 7.6% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ilheus

$35 4.5% 31% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $204 in Ilheus. 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 6% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $29 in Ilheus. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Ilheus – so Ilheus wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Ilheus

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

08:03 8:03 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

178,649

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ilheus 15,540 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ilheus

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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Ilheus, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,173 in Ilheus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilheus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $275 in Ilheus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $782 in Ilheus, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ilheus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ilheus. 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.