Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maceio - Alagoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas: $790 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Maceio - Alagoas, Brazil
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Maceio - Alagoas
🇧🇷 Brazil
$790
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Maceio - Alagoas

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 Maceio - Alagoas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $790 in Maceio - Alagoas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Maceio - Alagoas $790

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,239 in Maceio - Alagoas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Maceio - Alagoas $1,239

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,689 in Maceio - Alagoas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Maceio - Alagoas $1,689

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Maceio - Alagoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Maceio - Alagoas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Maceio - Alagoas 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$5.70 R$30.65
-60.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$27.39 R$147
-30.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$5.43 R$29.20
2.21%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$1.67 R$8.96
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$1.03 R$5.56
-37.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$0.48 R$2.61
-35.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$1.50 R$8.10
57.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$3.89 R$20.94
-5.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.01 R$5.45
93.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$1.86 R$10.03
-22.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$0.99 R$5.35
34.34%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$1.81 R$9.77
25.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$8.63 R$46.42
90.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$4.19 R$22.55
-33.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$6.96 R$37.47
33.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$2.66 R$14.30
-11.65%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.06 R$5.68
-8.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.27 R$6.84
25.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.29 R$6.92
16.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$1.37 R$7.35
-6.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$1.18 R$6.37
-6.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$0.51 R$2.75
39.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$0.71 R$3.83
-30.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$1.93 R$10.41
114.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$6.66 R$35.85
163.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.43 R$7.68
12.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$1.34 R$7.23
107.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$0.73 R$3.92
19.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$0.38 R$2.06
205.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.39 R$2.07
35.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.13 R$6.06
28.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$20.5K R$110.3K
2.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$29.5K R$158.6K
-8.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$75.0 R$403
-17.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$15.20 R$81.8
-19.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$16.66 R$89.6
20.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$22.39 R$120
66.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$5.74 R$30.87
13.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$204 R$1,100
260.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$6,698 R$36.0K
120.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$50.7 R$273
5.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$72.2 R$389
-65.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$89.0 R$479
2.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$73.8 R$397
-2.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$272 R$1,461
77.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$233 R$1,253
32.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$459 R$2,472
118.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$447 R$2,404
41.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$1,407 R$7,573
67.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$659 R$3,546
141.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Maceio - Alagoas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$552 R$2,973
6.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.17
-45.23%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Maceio - Alagoas
$233 24.6% $76
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Maceio - Alagoas
$179 23.6% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Maceio - Alagoas
$129 18.4% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Maceio - Alagoas
$107 13.1% $12
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Maceio - Alagoas
$103 33% $26
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Maceio - Alagoas
$5.2 * 91.5% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Maceio - Alagoas
$34 32.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $272 in Maceio - Alagoas. 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 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 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Maceio - Alagoas. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $179 in Maceio - Alagoas – so Maceio - Alagoas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Maceio - Alagoas
🕒 Local time
09:02 9:02 AM
23:02 11:02 PM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
1,031,597
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Maceio - Alagoas 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Maceio - Alagoas

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 Maceio - Alagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Maceio - Alagoas?
Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Maceio - Alagoas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Maceio - Alagoas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,184 in Maceio - Alagoas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Maceio - Alagoas?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $272 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Maceio - Alagoas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $27 in Maceio - Alagoas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Maceio - Alagoas?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Maceio - Alagoas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Maceio - Alagoas?
If budget matters most, go with Maceio - Alagoas. 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.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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