Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Vila Real

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,227 in Vila Real, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Vila Real
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Vila Real Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Vila Real

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Vila Real

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,227 in Vila Real, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Vila Real $1,227

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,790 in Vila Real, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Vila Real $1,790

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,354 in Vila Real, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Vila Real $2,354

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Vila Real, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Vila Real are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Vila Real 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$8.77 €7.81

-75.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$27.63 €24.58

-32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.06 €7.18

-30.52%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.10 €0.98

50.91%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$1.73 €1.54

-62.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.14 €1.02

-73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$3.46 €3.07

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.54 €1.37

138.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$0.91 €0.81

121.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.40 €1.25

0.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.20 €1.07

15.83%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.68 €2.39

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$9.33 €8.31

77.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$7.62 €6.78

-64.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$14.43 €12.85

-37.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.76 €1.56

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.32 €1.17

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.53 €1.36

8.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.62 €2.33

-40.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.40 €1.25

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.74 €1.54

-37.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.36 €1.21

-44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.42 €0.38

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.06 €5.39

-32.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$4.59 €4.09

290.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.12 €0.99

44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.61 €1.43

75.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.26 €1.12

-26.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$24.45 €21.76

116.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$4.37 €3.89

-73.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.66 €0.58

-74.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$24.38 €21.69

-92.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$2.21 €1.96

-33.48%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$31.6K €28.1K

-33.44%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$38.0K €33.8K

-30.19%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$106 €94.4

-41.02%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$16.55 €14.73

-29.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$45.06 €40.10

-54.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$33.02 €29.39

14.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$9.88 €8.79

-62.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$8.72 €7.76

-25.34%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$306 €272

137.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$9,105 €8,102

82.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$70.4 €62.7

-23.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$31.38 €27.92

-20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$83.5 €74.3

8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$79.0 €70.3

-8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$788 €701

-38.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$493 €439

-37.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$1,009 €898

4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$779 €694

-15.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$1,722 €1,532

40.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,319 €1,173

22.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,112 €990

-46.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.47

60.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Vila Real: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Vila Real

$493 40.2% 59.1% $183

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Vila Real

$220 18% 7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Vila Real

$119 9.7% 9.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Vila Real

$168 13.7% 77.5% $73

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Vila Real

$139 11.4% 82% $63

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Vila Real

$37 3% 36.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Vila Real

$50 4.1% 0.9% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $788 in Vila Real. 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 87% higher in Vila Real. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $28 in Vila Real. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $220 in Vila Real – so Vila Real wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇹 Vila Real

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

05:39 5:39 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

49,574

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Vila Real 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Vila Real

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 Vila Real: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vila Real costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,840 in Vila Real. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $788 in Vila Real.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $306 in Vila Real. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Vila Real – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,227 in Vila Real. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,227 in Vila Real. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vila Real makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.