Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Montes Claros

For one person, living is cheaper in Montes Claros: $848 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Montes Claros
Learn more

Montes Claros Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Montes Claros

🇧🇷 Brazil

$848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Montes Claros

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $848 in Montes Claros, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Montes Claros $848

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,358 in Montes Claros, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Montes Claros $1,358

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,869 in Montes Claros, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Montes Claros $1,869

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

Both Chiang Mai and Montes Claros are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Montes Claros 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.53 R$18.86

-36.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$31.55 R$169

-39.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.63 R$40.81

-27.26%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.04 R$10.90

-18.14%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.32 R$7.08

-51.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.76 R$4.04

-59.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.48 R$7.90

59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.02 R$16.16

21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.06 R$5.67

83.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.64 R$8.76

-12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.22 R$6.52

9.02%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.15 R$11.50

6.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$9.19 R$49.16

79.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.30 R$23.02

-35.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.76 R$46.87

6.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.26 R$12.11

3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.32 R$7.09

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.13 R$6.03

41.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.56 R$8.35

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.24 R$6.63

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.11 R$5.94

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.80 R$4.26

-11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.82 R$4.40

-40.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.50 R$13.37

65.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.81 R$41.80

124.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.33 R$7.13

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.12 R$11.34

31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.80 R$4.26

8.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$44.22 R$237

22.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.26 R$6.77

-7.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.86 R$4.58

-38.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.11 R$43.39

-70.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.03 R$5.53

40.78%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$23.2K R$124.4K

-9.39%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$33.2K R$177.4K

-18.75%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$77.3 R$414

-19.59%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$12.20 R$65.3

-0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$19.67 R$105

2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$25.42 R$136

46.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$27.14 R$145

-86.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.56 R$40.48

-14.15%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$275 R$1,474

167.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,047 R$37.7K

109.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$54.7 R$293

-2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$50.2 R$268

-50.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$90.4 R$484

1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$71.5 R$383

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$358 R$1,918

34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$235 R$1,257

31.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$668 R$3,574

50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$477 R$2,552

32.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,706 R$9,128

38.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,181 R$6,319

34.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$419 R$2,243

40.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Montes Claros

$235 27.7% 24% $74

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Montes Claros

$193 22.8% 17.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Montes Claros

$120 14.2% 10.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Montes Claros

$109 12.9% 15.6% $15

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Montes Claros

$97 11.5% 25.4% $20

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Montes Claros

$53 6.3% 13.7% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Montes Claros

$41 4.8% 19.4% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $358 in Montes Claros. 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 41% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $32 in Montes Claros. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $193 in Montes Claros – so Montes Claros wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Montes Claros

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

09:00 9:00 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

414,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Montes Claros 16,080 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Montes Claros

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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Montes Claros, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,271 in Montes Claros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montes Claros, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $358 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $275 in Montes Claros. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $848 in Montes Claros, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Montes Claros – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Montes Claros. 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.