Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Osasco

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $997 in Osasco, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. The total is higher in Osasco despite lower rent and utilities.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Osasco
🇧🇷 Brazil
$997
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $997 in Osasco, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $938
  • Osasco $997

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,534 in Osasco, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,426
  • Osasco $1,534

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,071 in Osasco, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,914
  • Osasco $2,071

Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper than Osasco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Osasco are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Osasco 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.26 ฿75.4
$7.05 R$35.73
-67.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.18 ฿641
$39.76 R$202
-51.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.59 ฿187
$8.84 R$44.82
-36.76%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ฿57.6
$2.20 R$11.15
-21.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$1.38 R$6.98
-53.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.18
$0.85 R$4.32
-61.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿78.7
$2.76 R$13.99
-14.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 ฿130
$4.46 R$22.59
-12.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ฿68.6
$1.20 R$6.07
70.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 ฿46.70
$1.88 R$9.51
-25.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.89
$1.37 R$6.94
-6.57%
Eggs
$2.25 ฿75.3
$2.76 R$14.00
-18.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.94 ฿566
$9.55 R$48.40
77.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.74 ฿91.6
$4.60 R$23.30
-40.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.36 ฿313
$10.92 R$55.3
-14.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.3
$2.76 R$13.98
-13.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ฿33.92
$1.87 R$9.46
-45.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 ฿53.9
$1.58 R$8.00
1.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 ฿50.7
$1.84 R$9.31
-17.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.90
$1.37 R$6.93
-6.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.22
$1.36 R$6.91
-18.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.09
$0.99 R$5.00
-27.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.54
$0.77 R$3.90
-32.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33 ฿145
$2.85 R$14.43
51.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.73 ฿593
$10.15 R$51.4
74.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$1.70 R$8.64
-4.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.3
$3.27 R$16.58
-12.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 ฿28.31
$1.01 R$5.14
-15.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ฿1,801
$53.8 R$273
0.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 ฿39.18
$1.29 R$6.55
-9.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿19.00
$1.44 R$7.29
-60.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.37 ฿79.2
$10.40 R$52.7
-77.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$1.32 R$6.67
9.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K ฿684.3K
$24.0K R$121.7K
-14.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿886.1K
$33.8K R$171.3K
-21.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$77.1 R$391
-19.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.27 ฿410
$14.24 R$72.2
-13.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.97 ฿668
$18.19 R$92.2
9.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.91 ฿1,267
$24.60 R$125
54.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.76 ฿126
$27.35 R$139
-86.25%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 ฿224
$9.90 R$50.2
-32.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 ฿26.6K
$440 R$2,232
81.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿495.7K
$7,609 R$38.6K
94.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$56.7 R$287
-6.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.05 ฿837
$59.1 R$299
-57.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 ฿3,062
$95.5 R$484
-4.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5 ฿2,455
$85.6 R$434
-14.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$464 ฿15.5K
$381 R$1,933
21.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ฿10.2K
$275 R$1,394
10.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$915 ฿30.6K
$613 R$3,109
49.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 ฿18.5K
$400 R$2,029
38.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,912 ฿63.9K
$1,705 R$8,645
12.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,438 ฿48.1K
$1,180 R$5,983
21.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Osasco
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
$451 R$2,285
32.04%
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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Osasco: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$305
Osasco
$275 9.8% $30
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$238
Osasco
$227 4.4% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$110
Osasco
$134 22% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$95
Osasco
$110 15.8% $15
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Osasco
$141 78.4% $62
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Osasco
$66 8.2% $5
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Osasco
$44 13.5% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $381 in Osasco. 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 32% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $40.00 in Osasco. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $227 in Osasco – so Osasco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Osasco
🕒 Local time
00:50 12:50 AM
14:50 2:50 PM
10 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
728,615
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Osasco 16,440 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Osasco

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 Osasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Osasco?
Osasco costs about 6% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Osasco?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,496 in Osasco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Osasco?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Osasco?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $440 in Osasco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Osasco?
Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Osasco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chiang Mai or in Osasco?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Osasco at $997. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osasco it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Osasco?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $997 in Osasco. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Osasco?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Osasco?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osasco 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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