Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jaboatão dos Guararapes

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaboatão dos Guararapes: $857 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $970 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Jaboatão dos Guararapes
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Jaboatão dos Guararapes Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

🇧🇷 Brazil

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Jaboatão dos Guararapes

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 Jaboatão dos Guararapes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $857 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $857

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,319 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $1,319

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,780 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $1,780

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Jaboatão dos Guararapes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Jaboatão dos Guararapes are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Jaboatão dos Guararapes 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.7

$6.04 R$30.28

-62.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿644

$30.46 R$153

-37.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

$8.04 R$40.35

-30.47%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.9

$1.58 R$7.94

8.86%

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

$0.64 ฿21.63

$1.07 R$5.36

-40.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.22

$0.65 R$3.25

-49.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$1.62 R$8.10

45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

$3.20 R$16.04

21.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

$1.22 R$6.14

68.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.89

$2.07 R$10.40

-32.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.48 R$7.42

-13.51%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.15 R$10.79

4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿568

$8.21 R$41.18

106.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.0

$4.60 R$23.09

-40.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

$8.06 R$40.42

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.37 R$6.86

75.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.05

$0.93 R$4.68

8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.1

$0.80 R$4.02

101.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.23 R$6.16

23.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.07

$1.49 R$7.49

-14.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.36

$1.13 R$5.67

-1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.18

$0.52 R$2.61

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

$0.83 R$4.17

-37.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.04 R$15.25

42.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿595

$7.85 R$39.37

125.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$1.19 R$5.95

36.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.7

$1.59 R$7.96

79.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.42

$0.86 R$4.31

-1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,808

$44.84 R$225

20.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.33

$1.22 R$6.12

-4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.07

$0.75 R$3.76

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.5

$3.20 R$16.04

-25.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$1.33 R$6.65

9.02%

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

$20.5K ฿686.9K

$23.6K R$118.5K

-13.28%

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

$26.5K ฿889.5K

$33.5K R$167.9K

-20.79%

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

$62.3 ฿2,091

$114 R$574

-45.53%

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

$12.27 ฿412

$13.58 R$68.1

-9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿670

$17.55 R$88.0

13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,272

$25.57 R$128

48.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$27.33 R$137

-86.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

$10.16 R$51.0

-33.96%

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

$797 ฿26.7K

$280 R$1,404

184.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$6,919 R$34.7K

114.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,787

$45.16 R$227

17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿840

$49.78 R$250

-49.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,074

$77.0 R$386

19.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,465

$77.8 R$390

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

$354 R$1,774

31.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$203 R$1,016

50.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

$665 R$3,334

37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$347 R$1,741

59.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.1K

$1,949 R$9,780

-1.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$1,106 R$5,551

30.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$317 R$1,588

88.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.75

-52.60%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jaboatão dos Guararapes: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$203 23.6% 33.5% $102

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$185 21.6% 22.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$112 13.1% 2.6% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$146 17% 53.9% $51

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$113 13.2% 42.7% $34

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$53 6.2% 13.1% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$46 5.4% 10.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $354 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. 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 88% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $185 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes – so Jaboatão dos Guararapes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Jaboatão dos Guararapes

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

16:28 4:28 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

644,037

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Jaboatão dos Guararapes 14,910 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jaboatão dos Guararapes

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 Jaboatão dos Guararapes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Jaboatão dos Guararapes, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,285 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $280 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, where all-in costs run around $857, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Jaboatão dos Guararapes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jaboatão dos Guararapes costs $857 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Jaboatão dos Guararapes. 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.