Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jaragua do Sul

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Jaragua do Sul: $938 and $923 a month, rent and utilities included.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Jaragua do Sul
🇧🇷 Brazil
$923
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Jaragua do Sul

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 Jaragua do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $923 in Jaragua do Sul, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $938
  • Jaragua do Sul $923

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,460 in Jaragua do Sul, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,426
  • Jaragua do Sul $1,460

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,998 in Jaragua do Sul, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,914
  • Jaragua do Sul $1,998

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Jaragua do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Jaragua do Sul are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Jaragua do Sul 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.26 ฿75.4
$6.62 R$33.55
-65.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.18 ฿641
$35.88 R$182
-46.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.59 ฿187
$8.03 R$40.71
-30.39%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ฿57.6
$1.92 R$9.74
-10.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$1.13 R$5.74
-43.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.18
$0.46 R$2.35
-28.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿78.7
$2.76 R$14.01
-14.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 ฿130
$3.05 R$15.48
27.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ฿68.6
$0.89 R$4.51
130.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 ฿46.70
$1.42 R$7.18
-1.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.89
$0.79 R$4.02
62.03%
Eggs
$2.25 ฿75.3
$2.19 R$11.08
2.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.94 ฿566
$8.82 R$44.73
92.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.74 ฿91.6
$3.88 R$19.66
-29.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.36 ฿313
$8.50 R$43.08
10.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.3
$2.03 R$10.31
18.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ฿33.92
$0.86 R$4.34
17.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 ฿53.9
$0.81 R$4.09
98.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 ฿50.7
$1.67 R$8.48
-8.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.90
$1.20 R$6.07
6.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.22
$1.09 R$5.55
1.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.09
$0.82 R$4.15
-12.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.54
$0.68 R$3.42
-23.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33 ฿145
$2.47 R$12.55
75.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.73 ฿593
$6.81 R$34.52
160.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$1.99 R$10.07
-18.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.3
$1.81 R$9.17
57.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 ฿28.31
$1.08 R$5.48
-21.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ฿1,801
$30.63 R$155
75.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 ฿39.18
$1.52 R$7.68
-23.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿19.00
$1.41 R$7.17
-59.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.37 ฿79.2
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$1.31 R$6.65
10.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K ฿684.3K
$23.9K R$120.9K
-14.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿886.1K
$35.6K R$180.2K
-25.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$116 R$587
-46.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.27 ฿410
$14.82 R$75.1
-17.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.97 ฿668
$24.81 R$126
-19.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.91 ฿1,267
$25.01 R$127
51.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.76 ฿126
$24.26 R$123
-84.50%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 ฿224
$7.21 R$36.53
-6.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 ฿26.6K
$333 R$1,688
139.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿495.7K
$2,757 R$14.0K
438.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$50.7 R$257
5.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.05 ฿837
$73.9 R$375
-66.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 ฿3,062
$95.5 R$484
-4.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5 ฿2,455
$69.6 R$353
5.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$464 ฿15.5K
$347 R$1,759
33.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ฿10.2K
$250 R$1,269
21.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$915 ฿30.6K
$578 R$2,928
58.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 ฿18.5K
$511 R$2,590
8.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,912 ฿63.9K
$1,073 R$5,441
78.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,438 ฿48.1K
$838 R$4,250
71.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Jaragua do Sul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
$636 R$3,225
-6.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.33
-50.84%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jaragua do Sul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$305
Jaragua do Sul
$250 17.9% $54
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$238
Jaragua do Sul
$178 25.4% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$110
Jaragua do Sul
$130 19% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$95
Jaragua do Sul
$156 64.4% $61
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Jaragua do Sul
$126 60% $47
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Jaragua do Sul
$44 29% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Jaragua do Sul
$39 23.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $347 in Jaragua do Sul. 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 7% higher in Jaragua do Sul, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $36.00 in Jaragua do Sul. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $178 in Jaragua do Sul – so Jaragua do Sul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Jaragua do Sul
🕒 Local time
12:03 12:03 PM
02:03 2:03 AM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
182,660
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Jaragua do Sul 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Jaragua do Sul

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 Jaragua do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Jaragua do Sul?
Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Jaragua do Sul, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Jaragua do Sul?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,385 in Jaragua do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Jaragua do Sul?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jaragua do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Jaragua do Sul?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $333 in Jaragua do Sul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Jaragua do Sul?
Groceries cost about 34% 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.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Chiang Mai or in Jaragua do Sul?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jaragua do Sul, where all-in costs run around $923, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Jaragua do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Jaragua do Sul?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jaragua do Sul costs $923 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Jaragua do Sul?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Jaragua do Sul?
If budget matters most, go with Jaragua do Sul. 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.

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