Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Joinville

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Joinville: $938 and $935 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Joinville
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Joinville Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Joinville

🇧🇷 Brazil

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $935 in Joinville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Joinville $935

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,561 in Joinville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Joinville $1,561

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,186 in Joinville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Joinville $2,186

Chiang Mai and Joinville have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Joinville are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Joinville 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$8.26 R$41.85

-72.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$49.55 R$251

-61.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.06 R$35.78

-20.82%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.00 R$10.15

-14.00%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.17 R$5.91

-45.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.52 R$2.63

-36.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.32 R$16.82

-28.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.38 R$12.08

63.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.01 R$5.10

102.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.28 R$6.49

9.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.02 R$5.17

25.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.93 R$14.84

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.50 R$43.07

99.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.20 R$16.21

-14.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$6.74 R$34.18

38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.85 R$9.36

29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.13 R$5.70

-10.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.38 R$7.01

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.73 R$8.78

-12.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.32 R$6.71

-3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.28 R$6.50

-13.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.54 R$7.82

-53.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.96 R$4.89

-45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.17 R$16.06

36.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$9.26 R$46.96

91.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.14 R$5.77

42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.22 R$16.34

-11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.29 R$6.53

-34.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$61.2 R$310

-11.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.01 R$10.20

-41.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.58 R$8.02

-63.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$10.00 R$50.7

-76.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.28 R$6.49

13.28%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$25.2K R$127.9K

-18.83%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$33.1K R$167.9K

-19.94%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$60.9 R$309

2.33%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$11.52 R$58.4

6.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$21.62 R$110

-7.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$27.37 R$139

38.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$27.95 R$142

-86.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$8.72 R$44.19

-23.05%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$318 R$1,610

150.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$6,741 R$34.2K

120.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$46.03 R$233

15.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$94.8 R$481

-73.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$91.8 R$465

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$69.8 R$354

5.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$415 R$2,102

11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$259 R$1,314

17.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$777 R$3,939

17.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$558 R$2,826

-0.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,974 R$10.0K

-3.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,297 R$6,575

10.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$689 R$3,492

-13.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.5

-46.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Joinville: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Joinville

$259 27.7% 14.9% $45

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Joinville

$185 19.8% 22.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Joinville

$136 14.6% 24.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Joinville

$94 10.1% 0.5% $0.5

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Joinville

$139 14.9% 76.3% $60

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Joinville

$76 8.2% 24.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Joinville

$45 4.8% 12.7% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $415 in Joinville. 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 16% higher in Joinville. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $50.0 in Joinville. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $185 in Joinville – so Joinville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Joinville

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

10:07 10:07 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

616,317

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Joinville 16,620 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Joinville

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 Joinville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,403 in Joinville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $50.0 in Joinville. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Joinville. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Joinville, where all-in costs run around $935, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Joinville 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. Joinville costs $935 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 Joinville. 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.