Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $832 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sao Luis

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $832 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Sao Luis $832

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,317 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Sao Luis $1,317

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,802 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Sao Luis $1,802

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Sao Luis are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Sao Luis 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.64 R$33.64

-65.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$40.14 R$203

-51.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.89 R$34.93

-18.58%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.13 R$10.80

-22.07%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.22 R$6.20

-42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.71 R$3.60

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.95 R$9.87

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.43 R$12.31

52.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.05 R$5.33

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.98 R$10.06

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.14 R$5.80

14.91%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.21 R$11.21

-1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$9.82 R$49.77

69.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.31 R$21.87

-35.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.89 R$39.99

15.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.17 R$11.02

10.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.38 R$7.02

-25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.20 R$6.08

35.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.69 R$8.58

-11.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.39 R$7.03

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.27 R$6.45

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.88 R$4.46

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 R$3.88

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.36 R$11.97

82.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.07 R$40.90

122.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.27 R$6.44

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.25 R$11.42

26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.85 R$4.30

1.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$37.93 R$192

40.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.95 R$4.83

27.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.92 R$4.66

-38.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.24 R$6.29

16.13%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$23.8K R$120.7K

-12.94%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$30.7K R$155.9K

-12.83%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$95.3 R$483

-34.56%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$17.60 R$89.2

-31.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$21.13 R$107

-5.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$20.40 R$103

81.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$15.06 R$76.4

-74.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.76 R$34.25

-3.85%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$184 R$935

329.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$2,903 R$14.7K

410.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$64.5 R$327

-16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$54.2 R$275

-54.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$76.1 R$386

19.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$59.2 R$300

20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$360 R$1,824

26.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$184 R$930

62.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$577 R$2,923

57.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$322 R$1,635

71.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,529 R$7,749

26.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$717 R$3,633

101.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$394 R$1,998

49.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Sao Luis

$184 22.1% 38.4% $114

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Sao Luis

$197 23.7% 16.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Sao Luis

$114 13.8% 5.7% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Sao Luis

$134 16.1% 41.9% $40

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Sao Luis

$122 14.6% 54.8% $43

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sao Luis

$47 5.6% 22.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sao Luis

$34 4.1% 32.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $360 in Sao Luis. 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 50% 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 $40.00 in Sao Luis. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $197 in Sao Luis – so Sao Luis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

09:43 9:43 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,037,775

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sao Luis 15,630 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sao Luis

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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Sao Luis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,247 in Sao Luis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Luis, 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 $184 in Sao Luis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Luis, where all-in costs run around $832, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sao Luis 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 Luis costs $832 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 Luis. 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.