Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: $835 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Brazil

$835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $835

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,288 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,288

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,742 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,742

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$4.43 R$22.44

-48.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$27.29 R$138

-28.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.07 R$45.98

-38.15%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.37 R$12.02

-29.96%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.32 R$6.69

-46.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.80 R$4.06

-61.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.95 R$9.88

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.54 R$17.96

4.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.86 R$4.34

126.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.77 R$8.97

-20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.17 R$5.95

11.97%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.03 R$10.28

7.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$6.77 R$34.33

145.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.24 R$21.48

-34.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$6.65 R$33.73

36.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.31 R$11.71

3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.14 R$5.77

-9.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.83 R$4.20

96.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.39 R$7.05

7.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.30 R$6.60

-0.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.18 R$6.00

-5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.97 R$4.93

-25.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.63 R$3.19

-15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.96 R$9.95

119.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.14 R$36.19

151.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.09 R$5.51

44.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.32 R$11.77

22.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.11 R$5.63

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$29.19 R$148

82.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.63 R$3.17

92.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.77 R$3.90

-25.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.81 R$34.50

-65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.21 R$6.11

19.01%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$22.9K R$115.9K

-9.35%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$30.4K R$154.3K

-11.97%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$66.4 R$337

-6.10%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$13.68 R$69.4

-11.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.93 R$96.0

5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$21.99 R$111

68.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$19.77 R$100

-80.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.92 R$19.85

65.82%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$274 R$1,390

189.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,947 R$40.3K

86.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$65.5 R$332

-17.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$55.9 R$283

-55.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$89.7 R$455

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$45.32 R$230

56.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$422 R$2,139

7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$265 R$1,343

12.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$603 R$3,055

50.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$461 R$2,336

20.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,150 R$10.9K

-10.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$835 R$4,231

73.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$537 R$2,724

9.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.23

-32.32%

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$265 31.7% 11.1% $33

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$171 20.5% 27.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$115 13.8% 6.7% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$99 11.9% 4.9% $4.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$116 13.9% 48.1% $38

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$38 4.6% 37.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$30 3.6% 40.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $422 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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 10% 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 $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $171 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP – so Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

09:37 9:37 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

480,393

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP 16,700 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, 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 $1,252 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, 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 $274 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, where all-in costs run around $835, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP costs $835 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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.