Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nova Iguacu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $694 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Nova Iguacu

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $694 in Nova Iguacu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Nova Iguacu $694

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,129 in Nova Iguacu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Nova Iguacu $1,129

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,563 in Nova Iguacu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Nova Iguacu $1,563

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Nova Iguacu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Nova Iguacu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nova Iguacu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.37 R$18.48

-36.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$28.00 R$154

-33.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$7.06 R$38.72

-20.68%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.79 R$9.82

-7.26%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.08 R$5.94

-39.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.50 R$2.74

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.52 R$8.32

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$1.43 R$7.86

156.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.12 R$6.16

80.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.43 R$7.86

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.10 R$6.05

26.36%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.87 R$10.28

26.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$7.49 R$41.11

120.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.66 R$14.59

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$6.52 R$35.79

38.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.26 R$6.92

90.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.27 R$6.97

-18.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.90 R$4.95

84.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.65 R$9.03

-5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.95 R$5.24

30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.94 R$5.13

15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.39 R$2.12

94.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.38 R$2.11

34.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.78 R$9.78

131.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$5.48 R$30.07

227.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$0.90 R$4.96

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.25 R$6.88

125.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$1.36 R$7.48

-31.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$46.09 R$253

14.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.05 R$5.78

12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.22 R$6.70

-86.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$6.80 R$37.32

-73.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.09 R$5.99

34.86%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$22.3K R$122.2K

-5.64%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$31.2K R$171.1K

-14.97%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$45.05 R$247

38.87%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$11.18 R$61.4

3.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$17.16 R$94.2

18.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$22.13 R$121

71.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$36.33 R$199

-89.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$5.59 R$30.69

16.46%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$67.8 R$372

971.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$1,799 R$9,871

821.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$50.3 R$276

6.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$34.70 R$190

-28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$60.0 R$329

50.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$56.1 R$308

28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$304 R$1,668

58.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$204 R$1,122

51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$592 R$3,248

78.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$406 R$2,226

62.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$884 R$4,851

173.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$222 R$1,218

168.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.12

-49.91%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nova Iguacu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Nova Iguacu

$204 29.5% 34% $105

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Nova Iguacu

$147 21.2% 37.7% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Nova Iguacu

$90 13% 16.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nova Iguacu

$73 10.6% 22.3% $21

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Nova Iguacu

$86 12.4% 12.8% $9.8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Nova Iguacu

$59 8.5% 0.1% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Nova Iguacu

$33 4.8% 34.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $304 in Nova Iguacu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $28 in Nova Iguacu. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $147 in Nova Iguacu – so Nova Iguacu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

05:43 5:43 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

785,867

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Nova Iguacu 16,100 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nova Iguacu

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 Nova Iguacu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Nova Iguacu, 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 $1,041 in Nova Iguacu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nova Iguacu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $304 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $68 in Nova Iguacu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $694 in Nova Iguacu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nova Iguacu – 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 Nova Iguacu. 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.