Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Três Lagoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Três Lagoas: $834 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.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Três Lagoas
🇧🇷 Brazil
$834
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Três Lagoas

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $834 in Três Lagoas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $925
  • Três Lagoas $834

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,472 in Três Lagoas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,414
  • Três Lagoas $1,472

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,109 in Três Lagoas, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,903
  • Três Lagoas $2,109

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿76.5
$5.93 R$30.05
-61.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.64 ฿656
$31.71 R$161
-38.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ฿188
$7.84 R$39.76
-28.44%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$1.96 R$9.93
-15.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.40
$1.33 R$6.73
-47.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.24
$0.80 R$4.07
-61.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿80.4
$2.00 R$10.13
20.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 ฿124
$3.03 R$15.38
22.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$1.49 R$7.55
30.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.03
$2.19 R$11.12
-35.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.62
$1.26 R$6.41
3.97%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿72.9
$3.69 R$18.69
-40.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.65 ฿556
$5.93 R$30.05
180.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿92.2
$5.44 R$27.58
-49.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 ฿304
$6.70 R$33.95
35.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 ฿80.0
$1.69 R$8.55
41.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.26
$1.42 R$7.19
-27.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$1.45 R$7.33
12.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.0
$2.20 R$11.14
-31.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ฿43.13
$1.75 R$8.86
-26.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.03
$1.12 R$5.68
-0.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.08
$0.80 R$4.03
-10.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿17.59
$0.59 R$2.99
-10.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 ฿144
$2.02 R$10.24
113.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿600
$7.87 R$39.88
128.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 ฿52.9
$0.96 R$4.86
64.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.0
$2.09 R$10.61
35.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.86
$1.07 R$5.43
-19.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$44.26 R$224
20.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.29
$1.31 R$6.62
-7.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿18.99
$0.90 R$4.57
-36.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿78.6
$7.85 R$39.78
-70.06%
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
$23.2K R$117.5K
-10.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.7K
$32.8K R$166.4K
-18.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$75.8 R$384
-17.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 ฿405
$12.39 R$62.8
-2.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 ฿666
$21.29 R$108
-6.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.07 ฿1,239
$25.72 R$130
44.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.78 ฿126
$27.62 R$140
-86.31%
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 ฿217
$7.04 R$35.67
-7.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$793 ฿26.5K
$281 R$1,422
182.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿494.9K
$8,201 R$41.6K
80.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,796
$56.1 R$285
-4.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.62 ฿823
$49.26 R$250
-50.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ฿3,036
$90.7 R$460
0.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 ฿2,378
$71.4 R$362
-0.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ฿15.2K
$386 R$1,955
18.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿9,954
$193 R$981
53.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 ฿30.4K
$847 R$4,296
7.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 ฿18.5K
$648 R$3,285
-14.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿64.5K
$1,684 R$8,537
14.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 ฿48.3K
$1,180 R$5,980
22.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Três Lagoas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 ฿19.7K
$172 R$874
242.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11
-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 Três Lagoas: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$298
Três Lagoas
$193 35% $104
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$235
Três Lagoas
$198 16% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Três Lagoas
$120 11.3% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Três Lagoas
$109 16% $15
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Três Lagoas
$119 51.5% $40
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Três Lagoas
$54 10.5% $6.4
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Três Lagoas
$40 20.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $386 in Três Lagoas. 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 243% 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 $32.00 in Três Lagoas. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $198 in Três Lagoas – so Três Lagoas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇷 Três Lagoas
🕒 Local time
09:15 9:15 AM
22:15 10:15 PM
11 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
132,152
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Três Lagoas 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Três Lagoas

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 Três Lagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Três Lagoas?
Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Três Lagoas, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Três Lagoas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,252 in Três Lagoas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Três Lagoas?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Três Lagoas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Três Lagoas?
Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $281 in Três Lagoas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Três Lagoas?
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.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Chiang Mai or in Três Lagoas?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Três Lagoas, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Três Lagoas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Três Lagoas?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Três Lagoas costs $834 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Três Lagoas?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Três Lagoas?
If budget matters most, go with Três Lagoas. 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.

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