Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Marinha Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,638 in Marinha Grande, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Marinha Grande
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Marinha Grande Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Marinha Grande

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Marinha Grande

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,638 in Marinha Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Marinha Grande $1,638

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,381 in Marinha Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Marinha Grande $2,381

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,124 in Marinha Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Marinha Grande $3,124

Chiang Mai is about 43% cheaper than Marinha Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Marinha Grande is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$12.64 €11.27

-82.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$53.1 €47.40

-64.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.47 €9.34

-46.99%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.21 €1.97

-24.43%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$2.02 €1.80

-68.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$1.64 €1.46

-81.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.38 €3.02

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.87 €2.56

27.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.08 €0.96

80.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.87 €1.67

-22.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.31 €1.16

1.53%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.61 €2.33

-12.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.91 €10.62

38.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$7.11 €6.34

-60.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.14 €9.94

-16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.76 €1.57

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.68 €1.50

-42.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.34 €1.20

19.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.47 €2.21

-39.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.32 €1.18

-3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.76 €1.57

-37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.44 €1.29

-50.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.73 €0.65

-32.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.15 €5.48

-32.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.52 €4.93

217.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.30 €1.16

23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.41 €1.26

97.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$2.40 €2.14

-63.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$45.49 €40.59

18.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$3.85 €3.44

-69.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$1.02 €0.91

-48.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$16.64 €14.85

-85.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$2.07 €1.85

-29.95%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$33.9K €30.2K

-37.86%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$38.2K €34.1K

-29.55%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$128 €114

-51.30%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$18.60 €16.59

-34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$44.97 €40.12

-55.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$40.17 €35.84

-7.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$18.83 €16.80

-79.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.74 €7.80

-25.74%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$259 €231

183.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$6,231 €5,560

136.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$74.7 €66.7

-28.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$30.40 €27.12

-18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$99.0 €88.3

-7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$66.3 €59.1

8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$983 €877

-50.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$779 €695

-60.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$748 €667

34.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,181 €1,054

-46.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$3,479 €3,104

-32.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,539 €2,265

-37.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$903 €805

-34.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.85

44.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Marinha Grande: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Marinha Grande

$779 47.5% 152% $470

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Marinha Grande

$229 14% 2.4% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Marinha Grande

$122 7.4% 12% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Marinha Grande

$191 11.7% 102% $97

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Marinha Grande

$196 12% 153% $119

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Marinha Grande

$64 3.9% 4.4% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Marinha Grande

$58 3.5% 14.7% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $983 in Marinha Grande. 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 53% higher in Marinha Grande, 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 $53 in Marinha Grande. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $229 in Marinha Grande – so Marinha Grande wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇹 Marinha Grande

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

16:52 4:52 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,032

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Marinha Grande 10,120 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Marinha Grande

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 Marinha Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marinha Grande costs about 75% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $2,457 in Marinha Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $983 in Marinha Grande.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $53 in Marinha Grande. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Marinha Grande. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,638 in Marinha Grande. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,638 in Marinha Grande. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marinha Grande makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.