Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Taubate

For one person, living is cheaper in Taubate: $852 a month against $938 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 Taubate
Learn more

Taubate Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Taubate

🇧🇷 Brazil

$852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Taubate

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $852 in Taubate, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Taubate $852

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,351 in Taubate, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Taubate $1,351

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,849 in Taubate, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Taubate $1,849

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Taubate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Taubate are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Taubate 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.07 R$35.85

-68.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$37.35 R$189

-48.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$8.31 R$42.14

-32.73%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.18 R$11.04

-21.10%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.30 R$6.60

-50.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.77 R$3.91

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.34 R$11.87

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.04 R$15.42

28.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.06 R$5.35

93.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.14 R$10.86

-34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.28 R$6.49

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.40 R$12.16

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$10.81 R$54.8

56.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.44 R$22.51

-38.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$7.79 R$39.50

20.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.12 R$10.75

13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.74 R$8.84

-41.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.43 R$7.23

12.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.85 R$9.39

-17.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.27 R$6.42

0.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.03 R$5.25

7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.75 R$3.80

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.71 R$3.61

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.46 R$12.45

76.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.93 R$40.19

123.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.21 R$6.14

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.43 R$12.32

17.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.94 R$4.74

-9.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$44.29 R$225

21.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.26 R$6.38

-7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.91 R$4.60

-37.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$9.37 R$47.51

-74.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.02 R$5.17

42.16%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$24.2K R$122.7K

-15.42%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.8K R$166.5K

-19.26%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$90.9 R$461

-31.45%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$10.91 R$55.3

12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$21.84 R$111

-8.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$23.00 R$117

64.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$27.31 R$138

-86.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$7.86 R$39.83

-14.63%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$355 R$1,799

124.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,900 R$29.9K

151.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$42.90 R$217

24.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$50.1 R$254

-50.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$73.6 R$373

24.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$63.2 R$320

16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$275 R$1,393

68.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$194 R$983

57.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$543 R$2,752

68.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$347 R$1,759

59.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,717 R$8,705

11.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,196 R$6,061

20.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$579 R$2,933

2.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.93

-53.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Taubate: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Taubate

$194 22.8% 36.3% $111

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Taubate

$205 24% 13.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Taubate

$103 12.1% 5.6% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Taubate

$124 14.5% 30.8% $29

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Taubate

$134 15.7% 69.2% $55

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Taubate

$54 6.3% 12.2% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Taubate

$39 4.5% 24.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $275 in Taubate. 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 3% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $37.00 in Taubate. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $205 in Taubate – so Taubate wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇷 Taubate

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

07:07 7:07 AM

10 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

310,739

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Taubate 16,310 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Taubate

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 Taubate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Taubate, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,278 in Taubate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $355 in Taubate. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 Taubate, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Taubate 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. Taubate costs $852 versus $938 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 Taubate. 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.