Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Itajubá, MG

For one person, living is cheaper in Itajubá, MG: $865 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Itajubá, MG
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Itajubá, MG Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Itajubá, MG

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Itajubá, MG

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $865 in Itajubá, MG, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Itajubá, MG $865

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,275 in Itajubá, MG, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Itajubá, MG $1,275

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,685 in Itajubá, MG, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Itajubá, MG $1,685

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Itajubá, MG, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Itajubá, MG are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Itajubá, MG 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.51 R$24.28

-50.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$23.39 R$126

-18.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.58 R$24.67

21.18%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.23 R$6.63

35.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.15 R$6.16

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.64 R$3.47

-51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.82 R$9.79

29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.01 R$16.20

21.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.03 R$5.53

89.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.61 R$8.65

-10.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.96 R$5.14

38.54%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.24 R$12.07

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.71 R$57.6

53.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.63 R$19.56

-23.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.46 R$40.13

24.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.86 R$15.38

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.56 R$8.42

-37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.03 R$5.56

55.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.85 R$9.95

-18.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.06 R$5.72

20.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.05 R$5.68

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.67 R$3.60

5.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.64 R$3.46

-23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.01 R$16.20

37.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.95 R$42.80

120.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.17 R$6.31

37.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.62 R$8.72

71.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.98 R$5.27

-11.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$44.56 R$240

21.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.20 R$6.46

-3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.89 R$4.81

-40.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.93 R$48.07

-72.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.11 R$5.99

30.63%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$23.2K R$124.6K

-9.04%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$33.3K R$179.2K

-19.11%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$131 R$704

-52.45%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.89 R$58.6

11.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$18.75 R$101

7.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$15.47 R$83.3

141.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$27.22 R$146

-86.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.92 R$42.60

-18.06%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$586 R$3,152

25.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$13.2K R$71.1K

11.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$41.57 R$224

28.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$48.41 R$261

-49.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$73.4 R$395

24.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$66.8 R$359

7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$350 R$1,885

37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$239 R$1,288

29.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$525 R$2,828

91.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$357 R$1,921

77.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,670 R$8,987

41.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,165 R$6,268

36.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$298 R$1,602

98.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.93

-53.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Itajubá, MG: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Itajubá, MG

$239 27.7% 22.5% $70

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Itajubá, MG

$190 21.9% 19.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Itajubá, MG

$104 12% 4.7% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Itajubá, MG

$160 18.5% 69.8% $66

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Itajubá, MG

$87 10% 12% $9.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Itajubá, MG

$54 6.3% 11.8% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Itajubá, MG

$31 3.6% 37.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $350 in Itajubá, MG. 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 98% 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 $23 in Itajubá, MG. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $190 in Itajubá, MG – so Itajubá, MG wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Itajubá, MG

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

00:56 12:56 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

93,073

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Itajubá, MG 16,300 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Itajubá, MG

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 Itajubá, MG: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Itajubá, MG, 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 $1,298 in Itajubá, MG. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itajubá, MG, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $350 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $586 in Itajubá, MG. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $865 in Itajubá, MG, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Itajubá, MG. 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.