Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Itu

For one person, living is cheaper in Itu: $719 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Itu
Learn more

Itu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Itu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $719 in Itu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Itu $719

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,300 in Itu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Itu $1,300

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,882 in Itu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Itu $1,882

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Itu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Itu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Itu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.36 R$28.70

-58.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$38.63 R$207

-50.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.99 R$32.06

-7.35%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.63 R$8.71

2.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.72 R$3.85

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.49 R$2.62

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.14 R$6.09

107.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.88 R$10.04

94.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.85 R$4.56

129.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.44 R$7.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.18 R$6.29

12.71%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.16 R$11.56

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$9.33 R$49.92

76.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.64 R$19.47

-23.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.62 R$30.07

65.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.62 R$8.69

45.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.26 R$6.73

-23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.76 R$4.09

110.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.95 R$10.46

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.97 R$5.21

31.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.99 R$5.28

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.73 R$3.90

-2.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.45 R$2.40

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.32 R$12.44

78.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$5.50 R$29.43

218.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.19 R$6.35

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.88 R$10.08

47.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.01 R$5.39

-13.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$42.39 R$227

27.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.90 R$4.83

28.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.90 R$4.80

-41.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.24 R$38.73

-66.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.91 R$4.85

59.34%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$22.0K R$117.5K

-4.10%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$26.5K R$142.0K

1.55%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$78.1 R$418

-20.38%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.00 R$58.9

10.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$15.94 R$85.3

26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$24.10 R$129

54.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$26.43 R$141

-85.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.52 R$24.20

43.58%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$198 R$1,061

271.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,502 R$40.1K

96.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$46.56 R$249

14.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$36.52 R$195

-32.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$64.2 R$344

42.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$47.18 R$252

52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$301 R$1,611

60.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$185 R$992

66.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$735 R$3,934

36.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$617 R$3,302

2.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,600 R$8,561

47.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,135 R$6,073

40.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$275 R$1,470

114.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.38

-55.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Itu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Itu

$185 25.8% 40% $124

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Itu

$162 22.5% 31% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Itu

$88 12.2% 19.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Itu

$105 14.6% 11.2% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Itu

$95 13.2% 22% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Itu

$52 7.2% 15.6% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Itu

$33 4.6% 34.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $301 in Itu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $39 in Itu. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $162 in Itu – so Itu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Itu

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

15:05 3:05 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

168,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Itu 16,490 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Itu

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 Itu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Itu, 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 $1,079 in Itu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $301 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $198 in Itu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $719 in Itu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Itu – 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 Itu. 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.