Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Paulinia

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Paulinia: $935 and $931 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Paulinia
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Paulinia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Paulinia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $931 in Paulinia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Paulinia $931

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,468 in Paulinia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Paulinia $1,468

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,005 in Paulinia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Paulinia $2,005

Chiang Mai and Paulinia have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.9

$8.27 R$44.99

-74.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$33.83 R$184

-44.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$8.47 R$46.03

-33.88%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.22 R$12.07

-25.23%

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

$0.65 ฿21.80

$1.32 R$7.17

-50.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.28

$0.86 R$4.70

-65.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.19 R$11.88

5.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.74 R$20.31

-1.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.9

$0.99 R$5.37

104.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.45

$1.78 R$9.65

-20.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.90

$1.25 R$6.79

11.20%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.8

$2.31 R$12.56

2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$11.41 R$62.1

44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.0

$4.57 R$24.85

-41.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$9.75 R$53.0

-7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.8

$2.05 R$11.13

17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.09

$1.37 R$7.47

-24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.46 R$7.92

13.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.45 R$7.91

7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.71

$1.18 R$6.40

5.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.62

$1.16 R$6.31

-6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.67

$0.91 R$4.96

-16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.33

$0.80 R$4.37

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.26 R$12.28

82.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿604

$7.42 R$40.32

141.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.7

$1.41 R$7.69

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.1

$2.42 R$13.15

16.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.49

$0.98 R$5.35

-5.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,782

$41.58 R$226

27.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.65

$1.15 R$6.27

2.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.73 R$3.96

-76.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$8.14 R$44.26

-77.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.63

$1.17 R$6.36

25.64%

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

$21.0K ฿708.1K

$21.8K R$118.3K

-3.45%

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

$26.5K ฿893.6K

$31.4K R$170.6K

-15.52%

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

$62.6 ฿2,108

$97.6 R$531

-35.89%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$13.59 R$73.9

-14.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿684

$20.96 R$114

-3.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,277

$36.90 R$201

2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$25.87 R$141

-85.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$8.09 R$43.97

-19.53%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$373 R$2,027

94.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿558.5K

$9,591 R$52.1K

72.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,804

$50.6 R$275

5.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$46.93 R$255

-47.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,046

$87.9 R$478

2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,425

$64.3 R$350

11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$338 R$1,838

42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$232 R$1,262

33.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$635 R$3,451

66.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$442 R$2,401

49.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,550 R$8,427

55.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.2K

$1,124 R$6,108

43.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-53.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Paulinia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Paulinia

$232 24.9% 25.1% $78

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Paulinia

$206 22.1% 13.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Paulinia

$112 12.1% 3.7% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Paulinia

$132 14.2% 39.9% $38

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Paulinia

$145 15.6% 89.8% $69

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Paulinia

$50 5.4% 14.2% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Paulinia

$53 5.7% 4.3% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $338 in Paulinia. 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 $34 in Paulinia. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $206 in Paulinia – so Paulinia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Paulinia

🕒 Local time

18:58 6:58 PM

08:58 8:58 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

110,537

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Paulinia 16,470 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Paulinia

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 Paulinia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,396 in Paulinia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paulinia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $338 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $34 in Paulinia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Paulinia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $931 in Paulinia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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