Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Praia Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Praia Grande: $842 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Praia Grande
Learn more

Praia Grande Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Praia Grande

🇧🇷 Brazil

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Praia Grande

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $842 in Praia Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Praia Grande $842

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,411 in Praia Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Praia Grande $1,411

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,980 in Praia Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Praia Grande $1,980

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Praia Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Praia Grande are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Praia Grande 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.7

$5.34 R$26.79

-57.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿644

$36.70 R$184

-47.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

$7.60 R$38.11

-26.45%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.9

$1.95 R$9.79

-11.79%

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

$0.64 ฿21.63

$1.29 R$6.45

-50.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.22

$0.56 R$2.83

-41.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$1.93 R$9.69

22.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

$3.89 R$19.53

0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

$1.01 R$5.09

102.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.89

$1.61 R$8.06

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.99 R$4.99

29.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.85 R$9.28

21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿568

$10.76 R$54.0

57.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.0

$2.96 R$14.84

-7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

$6.16 R$30.89

51.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.69 R$8.50

42.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.05

$1.22 R$6.12

-17.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.1

$1.26 R$6.33

27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.33 R$6.69

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.07

$1.26 R$6.34

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.36

$1.20 R$6.03

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.18

$0.57 R$2.88

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

$0.82 R$4.14

-36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.24 R$11.26

93.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿595

$7.30 R$36.62

142.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$0.98 R$4.92

66.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.7

$2.52 R$12.67

13.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.42

$1.01 R$5.08

-15.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,808

$48.59 R$244

10.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.33

$1.03 R$5.15

13.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.07

$0.78 R$3.92

-26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.5

$8.37 R$42.01

-71.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$1.24 R$6.22

16.94%

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

$20.5K ฿686.9K

$23.8K R$119.2K

-13.80%

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

$26.5K ฿889.5K

$31.8K R$159.6K

-16.63%

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

$62.3 ฿2,091

$67.0 R$336

-7.00%

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

$12.27 ฿412

$12.08 R$60.6

1.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿670

$19.65 R$98.6

1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,272

$33.02 R$166

14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$14.00 R$70.3

-73.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

$8.06 R$40.46

-16.75%

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

$797 ฿26.7K

$121 R$608

557.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$8,534 R$42.8K

73.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,787

$64.5 R$324

-17.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿840

$37.63 R$189

-33.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,074

$59.2 R$297

54.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,465

$79.5 R$399

-7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

$419 R$2,104

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$241 R$1,208

26.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

$795 R$3,986

15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$595 R$2,986

-7.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.1K

$1,477 R$7,410

29.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$5,026 R$25.2K

-71.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$438 R$2,195

36.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.81

-48.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Praia Grande: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Praia Grande

$241 28.6% 21% $64

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Praia Grande

$174 20.6% 27.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Praia Grande

$108 12.9% 1.1% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Praia Grande

$99 11.7% 4.4% $4.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Praia Grande

$114 13.5% 44% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Praia Grande

$58 6.8% 6.1% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Praia Grande

$49 5.8% 4.3% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $419 in Praia Grande. 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 36% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $37.00 in Praia Grande. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $174 in Praia Grande – so Praia Grande wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Praia Grande

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

15:29 3:29 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

349,935

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Praia Grande 16,400 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Praia Grande

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 Praia Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Praia Grande, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,263 in Praia Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $121 in Praia Grande. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Praia Grande, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Praia Grande 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. Praia Grande costs $842 versus $938 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 Praia Grande. 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.