Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $776 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Contagem and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $776 per month in Contagem vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Contagem $776
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Contagem vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Contagem $1,248
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,719 per month in Contagem vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Contagem $1,719
Chiang Mai $1,903

Contagem is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Contagem and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Contagem 43% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$2.29 ฿76.5

155.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$19.64 ฿656

53.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$5.61 ฿188

26.02%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$1.66 ฿55.6

1.81%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$0.70 ฿23.40

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.31 ฿10.24

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$2.41 ฿80.4

-47.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$3.71 ฿124

-32.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.95 ฿65.3

-51.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$1.41 ฿47.03

29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.31 ฿43.62

3.05%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$2.18 ฿72.9

-7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$16.65 ฿556

-41.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$2.76 ฿92.2

22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$9.11 ฿304

-16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$2.39 ฿80.0

-21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.03 ฿34.26

17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.63 ฿54.4

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$1.50 ฿50.0

9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.29 ฿43.13

-16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.11 ฿37.03

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$0.72 ฿24.08

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.53 ฿17.59

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$4.31 ฿144

-62.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$17.95 ฿600

-67.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.58 ฿52.9

-40.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$2.84 ฿95.0

-50.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$0.86 ฿28.86

67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$53.3 ฿1,780

48.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.21 ฿40.29

-6.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$0.57 ฿18.99

26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$2.35 ฿78.6

167.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.44 ฿47.96

-11.11%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

13.06%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

19.98%

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

$77.6 R$393

$62.3 ฿2,083

24.45%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$12.11 ฿405

-16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$19.94 ฿666

-3.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$37.07 ฿1,239

-27.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$3.78 ฿126

531.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$6.50 ฿217

8.00%

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

$143 R$725

$793 ฿26.5K

-81.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-82.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$53.7 ฿1,796

11.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$24.62 ฿823

99.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$90.9 ฿3,036

-26.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$71.1 ฿2,378

-32.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$455 ฿15.2K

-50.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$298 ฿9,954

-48.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$908 ฿30.4K

-48.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$554 ฿18.5K

-42.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

4.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-30.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$591 ฿19.7K

-55.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

5.57

91.56%

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

Last update for Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 33.6% $59

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 93.8% $144

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 27% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 11.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 7.2% $7.3

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 32.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.6% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Contagem versus $455 in Chiang Mai. 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 125% 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 $30.00 in Contagem versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Contagem vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Contagem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

18:39 6:39 PM

10 h ahead of Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

127,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Contagem Chiang Mai 16,150 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
Chiang Mai

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

Contagem vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Contagem, 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 $1,164 per month in Contagem and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Contagem and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Contagem 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. Contagem costs $776 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 Contagem. 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.