Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Piracicaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $971 in Piracicaba, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Piracicaba despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Piracicaba
Learn more

Piracicaba Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Piracicaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$971

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $971 in Piracicaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Piracicaba $971

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,511 in Piracicaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Piracicaba $1,511

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,051 in Piracicaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Piracicaba $2,051

Chiang Mai is about 4% cheaper than Piracicaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Piracicaba are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Piracicaba 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$6.92 R$37.01

-67.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$46.51 R$249

-59.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.31 R$39.09

-24.08%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.59 R$8.50

5.03%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.37 R$7.31

-53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.90 R$4.83

-65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.82 R$9.71

29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.69 R$25.09

-21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.00 R$5.37

95.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.58 R$8.46

-8.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.17 R$6.28

13.68%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.91 R$10.23

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.81 R$47.11

86.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.88 R$20.73

-28.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.55 R$40.36

23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.58 R$13.80

-8.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.51 R$8.05

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.28 R$6.83

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.90 R$10.18

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.36 R$7.26

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.27 R$6.78

-13.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.91 R$4.87

-21.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.67 R$3.56

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.22 R$17.20

28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$5.24 R$28.00

234.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.87 R$10.02

-13.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.83 R$20.50

-27.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.10 R$5.86

-20.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$64.5 R$345

-16.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.90 R$10.18

-38.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.88 R$10.07

-71.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.89 R$31.52

-58.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.19 R$6.36

21.85%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$22.3K R$119.2K

-5.55%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.5K R$173.8K

-17.13%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$85.1 R$455

-26.95%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$16.51 R$88.3

-26.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$26.27 R$140

-23.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$23.68 R$127

57.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.75 R$73.5

-72.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.08 R$32.51

6.74%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$223 R$1,192

230.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$5,488 R$29.3K

169.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$68.2 R$364

-21.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$61.9 R$331

-60.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$121 R$646

-24.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$68.3 R$365

5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$324 R$1,732

48.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$271 R$1,448

14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$591 R$3,158

70.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$426 R$2,277

48.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$748 R$4,000

215.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$513 R$2,741

209.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$387 R$2,068

52.51%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Piracicaba: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Piracicaba

$271 27.9% 12.3% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Piracicaba

$189 19.5% 19.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Piracicaba

$144 14.8% 32.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Piracicaba

$128 13.2% 35.4% $33

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Piracicaba

$124 12.8% 59.7% $46

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Piracicaba

$80 8.3% 30.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Piracicaba

$36 3.7% 28.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $324 in Piracicaba. 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 53% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $47 in Piracicaba. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $189 in Piracicaba – so Piracicaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Piracicaba

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

19:20 7:20 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

423,323

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Piracicaba 16,530 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Piracicaba

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 Piracicaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piracicaba costs about 4% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,457 in Piracicaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Piracicaba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $324 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $223 in Piracicaba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Piracicaba – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $971 in Piracicaba. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $971 in Piracicaba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.