Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and São Gabriel

For one person, living is cheaper in São Gabriel: $842 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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 São Gabriel
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São Gabriel Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

São Gabriel

🇧🇷 Brazil

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in São Gabriel

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $842 in São Gabriel, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
São Gabriel $842

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,371 in São Gabriel, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
São Gabriel $1,371

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,901 in São Gabriel, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
São Gabriel $1,901

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than São Gabriel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and São Gabriel are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, São Gabriel 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$5.66 R$28.70

-59.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$40.73 R$206

-51.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.05 R$35.76

-20.43%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.18 R$5.96

40.68%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.37 R$6.96

-48.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.02 R$5.19

-69.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.38 R$6.98

74.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.98 R$15.10

24.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.91 R$4.63

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.63 R$8.24

-13.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.08 R$5.48

21.30%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.42 R$7.22

53.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.15 R$51.5

64.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.96 R$25.16

-44.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$9.84 R$49.87

-7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.17 R$5.92

104.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.49 R$7.58

-30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.02 R$5.19

59.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.76 R$3.86

97.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.23 R$6.25

4.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.78 R$3.95

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.88 R$4.44

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.89 R$4.50

-40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.76 R$8.92

144.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.06 R$20.58

342.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.13 R$5.71

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.63 R$8.25

74.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.03 R$5.23

-16.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$44.73 R$227

19.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.28 R$6.51

-5.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.81 R$4.13

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.44 R$42.79

-72.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.33 R$6.74

8.27%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$23.4K R$118.5K

-11.32%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$34.4K R$174.3K

-22.07%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$75.5 R$382

-17.39%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$12.49 R$63.3

-3.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$21.98 R$111

-9.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$26.34 R$134

40.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$27.73 R$141

-86.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.20 R$36.51

-9.72%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$281 R$1,425

181.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,317 R$37.1K

102.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$51.5 R$261

4.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$26.26 R$133

-6.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$102 R$519

-11.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$80.4 R$408

-11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$350 R$1,772

30.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$237 R$1,204

25.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$687 R$3,482

32.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$476 R$2,411

16.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,740 R$8,819

10.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,189 R$6,025

21.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

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 17, 2026

Last update for São Gabriel: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

São Gabriel

$238 28.2% 20.3% $60

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

São Gabriel

$179 21.3% 23.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

São Gabriel

$117 13.9% 8.4% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

São Gabriel

$110 13.1% 16.5% $16

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

São Gabriel

$103 12.2% 31% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

São Gabriel

$54 6.4% 10.8% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

São Gabriel

$41 4.8% 18.6% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $350 in São Gabriel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $41.00 in São Gabriel. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $179 in São Gabriel – so São Gabriel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 São Gabriel

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

14:57 2:57 PM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

58,487

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai São Gabriel 17,040 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
São Gabriel

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 São Gabriel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than São Gabriel, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,263 in São Gabriel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $281 in São Gabriel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in São Gabriel, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In São Gabriel 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. São Gabriel costs $842 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 São Gabriel. 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.