Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Palmas

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmas: $830 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Palmas
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Palmas Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Palmas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $830 in Palmas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Palmas $830

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,281 in Palmas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Palmas $1,281

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,733 in Palmas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Palmas $1,733

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Palmas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Palmas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Palmas 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.83 R$21.01

-44.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$21.86 R$120

-14.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$7.41 R$40.65

-24.43%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.73 R$9.48

-4.05%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.63 R$8.96

-60.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.81 R$4.45

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.46 R$7.99

58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.72 R$14.91

34.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.02 R$5.60

98.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.34 R$7.36

5.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$2.76 R$15.15

-49.64%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.41 R$13.24

-1.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$6.62 R$36.36

149.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.95 R$16.20

-9.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$5.75 R$31.58

56.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.18 R$11.97

10.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.56 R$8.57

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.13 R$6.21

46.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.08 R$5.93

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.19 R$6.51

4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.04 R$5.72

4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.75 R$4.13

1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.71 R$3.90

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.06 R$11.30

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$6.42 R$35.25

179.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.24 R$6.81

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.01 R$11.02

40.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.74 R$4.09

25.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$41.72 R$229

26.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.30 R$7.14

-9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.70 R$3.83

-75.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$6.26 R$34.35

-71.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.11 R$6.08

32.43%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$19.7K R$108.0K

6.78%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$30.8K R$169.3K

-14.05%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$106 R$581

-40.89%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$10.92 R$59.9

6.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$18.50 R$102

9.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$21.99 R$121

72.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$26.12 R$143

-85.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$6.13 R$33.62

6.20%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$142 R$779

412.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$6,428 R$35.3K

157.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$33.94 R$186

57.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$49.29 R$271

-49.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$106 R$582

-14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$66.9 R$367

7.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$309 R$1,696

55.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$233 R$1,276

33.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$611 R$3,354

73.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$461 R$2,532

42.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,616 R$8,869

49.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,140 R$6,257

41.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Palmas: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Palmas

$233 28% 25% $77

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Palmas

$167 20.1% 29.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Palmas

$115 13.9% 6.4% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Palmas

$135 16.3% 43.2% $41

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Palmas

$96 11.6% 25.5% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Palmas

$49 6% 15.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Palmas

$34 4.1% 32.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $309 in Palmas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Palmas. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $167 in Palmas – so Palmas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Palmas

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

03:22 3:22 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

302,692

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Palmas 16,380 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Palmas

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 Palmas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Palmas, 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 $1,244 in Palmas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palmas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $309 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $142 in Palmas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% 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 $830 in Palmas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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