Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sao Bernardo do Campo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo: $807 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sao Bernardo do Campo
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Sao Bernardo do Campo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Sao Bernardo do Campo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Sao Bernardo do Campo $807

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,285 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,285

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,763 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,763

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Sao Bernardo do Campo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Sao Bernardo do Campo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Sao Bernardo do Campo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.93 R$35.11

-66.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$30.15 R$153

-34.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.92 R$45.20

-37.11%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.86 R$9.43

-10.75%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.40 R$7.10

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.72 R$3.66

-56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.21 R$6.14

99.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.02 R$10.23

83.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.89 R$4.50

119.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.63 R$8.25

-13.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.22 R$6.21

7.38%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.00 R$10.16

9.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.01 R$50.8

66.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.50 R$22.81

-38.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.85 R$44.85

2.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.60 R$13.18

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.39 R$7.05

-25.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.41 R$7.14

15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.62 R$8.22

-7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.29 R$6.53

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.00 R$5.07

11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.91 R$4.61

-20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.93 R$4.73

-43.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.21 R$11.19

95.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.59 R$38.48

136.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.27 R$6.43

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.01 R$10.17

41.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.07 R$5.42

-19.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.17 R$5.94

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.61 R$3.10

-6.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$2.95 R$14.98

-20.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.14 R$5.78

26.32%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$23.8K R$120.5K

-12.77%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$32.4K R$164.4K

-17.35%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$80.4 R$408

-22.50%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$11.96 R$60.6

1.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.64 R$94.5

6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$24.36 R$124

52.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$33.25 R$169

-88.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.78 R$34.35

-4.13%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$205 R$1,040

286.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,569 R$33.3K

125.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$38.76 R$197

38.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$39.91 R$202

-38.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$84.2 R$427

7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$52.7 R$267

35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$352 R$1,786

29.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$231 R$1,172

28.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$780 R$3,953

16.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$444 R$2,252

24.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,578 R$8,000

22.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,118 R$5,666

29.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$532 R$2,696

11.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sao Bernardo do Campo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$231 28.6% 22.4% $67

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$198 24.6% 15.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$97 12% 10.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$111 13.8% 17.6% $17

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$123 15.3% 56.6% $44

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$8.5 * 1.1% 86% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$38 4.7% 24.3% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $352 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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 11% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $198 in Sao Bernardo do Campo – so Sao Bernardo do Campo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Sao Bernardo do Campo

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

810,729

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sao Bernardo do Campo 16,410 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Sao Bernardo do Campo, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,211 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $30.00 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where all-in costs run around $807, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sao Bernardo do Campo 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. Sao Bernardo do Campo costs $807 versus $925 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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.