Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Porto Alegre

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $965 in Porto Alegre, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Porto Alegre
Learn more

Porto Alegre Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Porto Alegre

🇧🇷 Brazil

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Porto Alegre

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $965 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Porto Alegre $965

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,487 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Porto Alegre $1,487

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,009 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Porto Alegre $2,009

Chiang Mai is about 3% cheaper than Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$7.55 R$40.38

-70.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$37.17 R$199

-48.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.43 R$34.40

-13.69%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.42 R$12.93

-30.99%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.26 R$6.72

-49.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.03 R$5.50

-69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.28 R$12.21

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.73 R$14.57

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.96 R$5.15

103.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.57 R$8.37

-8.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.04 R$5.57

27.88%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.35 R$12.59

-2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$9.78 R$52.3

68.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.57 R$24.45

-39.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.43 R$50.4

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.29 R$12.26

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.35 R$7.22

-28.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.32 R$7.08

21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.54 R$8.21

-2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.13 R$6.07

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.05 R$5.63

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.86 R$4.61

-17.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.77 R$4.10

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.36 R$12.63

75.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$7.26 R$38.79

141.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.04 R$5.56

54.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.03 R$10.88

36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.95 R$5.08

-8.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$56.3 R$301

-3.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.19 R$6.36

-2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.79 R$4.24

-32.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$7.50 R$40.10

-67.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.25 R$6.68

16.00%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$22.1K R$118.2K

-4.78%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$31.7K R$169.2K

-14.89%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$72.6 R$388

-14.32%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$11.86 R$63.4

2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$20.42 R$109

-1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$27.19 R$145

37.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$29.04 R$155

-87.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.89 R$36.81

-5.81%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$516 R$2,757

42.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$23.5K R$125.6K

-37.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$47.70 R$255

11.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$54.6 R$292

-54.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$94.6 R$506

-3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$73.5 R$393

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$425 R$2,271

13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$304 R$1,626

1.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$707 R$3,781

42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$474 R$2,532

33.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,456 R$7,784

62.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,127 R$6,024

41.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$521 R$2,784

13.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Porto Alegre

$304 31.5% 1.5% $4.8

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Porto Alegre

$194 20.1% 17.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Porto Alegre

$122 12.6% 12% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Porto Alegre

$105 10.9% 11% $10

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Porto Alegre

$135 14% 73.7% $57

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Porto Alegre

$65 6.8% 6.3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Porto Alegre

$41 4.2% 18.5% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $425 in Porto Alegre. 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 13% 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 $37 in Porto Alegre. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $194 in Porto Alegre – so Porto Alegre wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Porto Alegre

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

07:38 7:38 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,332,833

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.97 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Porto Alegre 16,760 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Porto Alegre

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 Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Alegre costs about 3% 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 $1,448 in Porto Alegre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Porto Alegre, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $516 in Porto Alegre. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Porto Alegre – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $965 in Porto Alegre. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $965 in Porto Alegre. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.