Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Santa Cruz do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $866 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $830 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
Learn more

Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Santa Cruz do Sul

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 Santa Cruz do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Santa Cruz do Sul $866

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,393 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,393

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,919 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,919

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Santa Cruz do Sul are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Santa Cruz do Sul 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$5.50 R$30.00

-61.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$36.04 R$197

-48.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$6.30 R$34.41

-11.11%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.33 R$12.70

-28.76%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$1.24 R$6.77

-47.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.02 R$5.59

-70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$2.25 R$12.27

3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.70 R$14.77

35.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$0.91 R$4.94

121.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.53 R$8.34

-7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.98 R$5.35

41.84%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.21 R$12.05

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$9.89 R$54.0

67.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$4.38 R$23.89

-39.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$9.10 R$49.68

-0.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.23 R$12.19

7.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.35 R$7.39

-22.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.24 R$6.79

33.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.48 R$8.05

5.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.11 R$6.04

11.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.01 R$5.50

7.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$0.79 R$4.31

-3.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.74 R$4.01

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.28 R$12.44

80.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$7.34 R$40.07

144.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.09 R$5.94

48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.99 R$10.86

41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.94 R$5.14

-1.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$1.32 R$7.20

-10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.73 R$4.01

-76.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$7.69 R$41.99

-76.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.22 R$6.68

20.49%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$21.7K R$118.5K

-3.16%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$32.3K R$176.2K

-17.83%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$72.7 R$397

-13.98%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$11.41 R$62.3

1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$20.47 R$112

-0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$26.21 R$143

44.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$6.74 R$36.79

-3.41%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$520 R$2,838

39.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$22.8K R$124.7K

-27.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$46.12 R$252

16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$53.1 R$290

-53.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$94.2 R$514

-4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$73.3 R$400

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$524 R$2,862

-8.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$288 R$1,570

7.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$890 R$4,860

18.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$591 R$3,224

11.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$372 R$2,029

60.06%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$288 33.2% 7.2% $22

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$189 21.8% 20.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$120 13.9% 10.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$105 12.1% 10.7% $10

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$116 13.5% 52.1% $40

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$8.8 * 1% 85.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$40 4.6% 22% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul. 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 60% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $189 in Santa Cruz do Sul – so Santa Cruz do Sul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

05:27 5:27 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

133,246

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Santa Cruz do Sul 16,880 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Santa Cruz do Sul

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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,299 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz do Sul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.