Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pato Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Pato Branco: $880 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $540 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Pato Branco
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Pato Branco Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Pato Branco

🇧🇷 Brazil

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Pato Branco

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $880 in Pato Branco, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Pato Branco $880

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,393 in Pato Branco, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Pato Branco $1,393

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,907 in Pato Branco, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Pato Branco $1,907

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Pato Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Pato Branco are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Pato Branco 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.04 R$30.60

-62.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$31.70 R$161

-38.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.89 R$40.01

-28.90%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.07 R$10.47

-19.81%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.34 R$6.79

-47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.77 R$3.92

-59.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.97 R$9.99

22.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.97 R$15.06

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.06 R$5.37

83.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.67 R$8.45

-15.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.24 R$6.28

5.65%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.22 R$11.26

-1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$9.22 R$46.73

80.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.17 R$21.13

-33.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.31 R$42.14

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.21 R$11.20

8.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.30 R$6.60

-20.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.17 R$5.94

39.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.57 R$7.96

-4.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.26 R$6.37

2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.13 R$5.72

-1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.77 R$3.91

-6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.82 R$4.13

-35.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.46 R$12.46

75.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.81 R$39.57

129.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.30 R$6.59

21.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.07 R$10.51

37.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.03 R$5.23

-16.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$43.83 R$222

21.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.32 R$6.69

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.91 R$4.63

-37.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.19 R$41.53

-71.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.30 R$6.61

10.77%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$24.3K R$123.1K

-14.62%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$33.5K R$169.6K

-19.89%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$74.5 R$377

-16.30%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$12.55 R$63.6

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$21.06 R$107

-5.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$25.57 R$130

44.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$27.31 R$138

-86.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.11 R$36.03

-8.58%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$276 R$1,400

187.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,341 R$37.2K

101.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$55.4 R$281

-3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$50.5 R$256

-51.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$90.0 R$456

0.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$73.4 R$372

-3.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$361 R$1,832

26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$245 R$1,243

21.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$679 R$3,442

33.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$465 R$2,355

19.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,694 R$8,590

13.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,179 R$5,974

22.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$446 R$2,261

32.45%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Pato Branco: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Pato Branco

$245 27.9% 17.6% $53

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Pato Branco

$191 21.7% 18.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Pato Branco

$121 13.8% 12% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Pato Branco

$108 12.3% 14.5% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Pato Branco

$121 13.8% 54% $42

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pato Branco

$54 6.1% 11.4% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pato Branco

$40 4.5% 20.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $361 in Pato Branco. 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 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $32.00 in Pato Branco. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $191 in Pato Branco – so Pato Branco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Pato Branco

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

91,836

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pato Branco 17,000 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pato Branco

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 Pato Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Pato Branco, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,320 in Pato Branco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pato Branco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $276 in Pato Branco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pato Branco, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Pato Branco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pato Branco costs $880 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Pato Branco. 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.