Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Florianopolis and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,279 in Florianopolis, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Florianopolis
Learn more

Florianopolis Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Florianopolis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,279

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Florianopolis 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 Florianopolis and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,279 per month in Florianopolis vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Florianopolis $1,279
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Florianopolis vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Florianopolis $2,061
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,844 per month in Florianopolis vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Florianopolis $2,844
Chiang Mai $1,914

Florianopolis costs about 36% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Florianopolis and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Florianopolis 5% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 R$49.62

$2.26 ฿75.4

333.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.31 R$225

$19.18 ฿641

131.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 R$39.65

$5.59 ฿187

39.89%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R$12.53

$1.72 ฿57.6

43.60%

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

$1.34 R$6.79

$0.64 ฿21.54

109.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.33 ฿11.18

242.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R$15.17

$2.36 ฿78.7

26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 R$17.87

$3.90 ฿130

-9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.24

$2.05 ฿68.6

-49.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.40 ฿46.70

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.75

$1.28 ฿42.89

3.91%

Eggs

$2.66 R$13.48

$2.25 ฿75.3

18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 R$50.1

$16.94 ฿566

-41.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.66

$2.74 ฿91.6

48.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 R$51.5

$9.36 ฿313

8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.30

$2.40 ฿80.3

1.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.58

$1.01 ฿33.92

28.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.61 ฿53.9

-4.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 R$8.67

$1.52 ฿50.7

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.55

$1.28 ฿42.90

-14.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.58

$1.11 ฿37.22

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 R$4.17

$0.72 ฿24.09

13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.62

$0.52 ฿17.54

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R$15.36

$4.33 ฿145

-30.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 R$51.7

$17.73 ฿593

-42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 R$7.56

$1.63 ฿54.4

-8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 R$14.98

$2.85 ฿95.3

3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R$7.08

$0.85 ฿28.31

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 R$424

$53.9 ฿1,801

55.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 R$8.02

$1.17 ฿39.18

35.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 R$7.91

$0.57 ฿19.00

173.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 R$60.8

$2.37 ฿79.2

405.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.81

$1.45 ฿48.32

-7.59%

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

$23.6K R$119.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

15.11%

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

$35.1K R$177.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

32.28%

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

$86.7 R$439

$62.3 ฿2,083

39.02%

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

$12.69 R$64.3

$12.27 ฿410

3.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.36 R$113

$19.97 ฿668

11.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.07 R$152

$37.91 ฿1,267

-20.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.97 R$96.2

$3.76 ฿126

404.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 R$40.75

$6.71 ฿224

19.82%

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

$777 R$3,940

$797 ฿26.6K

-2.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K R$56.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-24.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 R$333

$53.3 ฿1,780

23.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.8 R$364

$25.05 ฿837

186.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R$577

$91.6 ฿3,062

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 R$352

$73.5 ฿2,455

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 R$3,333

$464 ฿15.5K

41.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 R$2,517

$305 ฿10.2K

62.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 R$7,014

$915 ฿30.6K

51.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 R$5,333

$552 ฿18.5K

90.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 R$14.3K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

47.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,604 R$8,133

$1,438 ฿48.1K

11.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,034 R$5,244

$595 ฿19.9K

73.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.61

5.57

90.48%

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

Last update for Florianopolis: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Florianopolis

$497 38.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 38.6% $192

Groceries & Markets

Florianopolis

$208 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 14.3% $30

Eating Out

Florianopolis

$163 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 51.6% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Florianopolis

$144 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 24.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Florianopolis

$122 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 22.3% $27

Getting Around

Florianopolis

$99 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 37.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Florianopolis

$46 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 11.2% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $657 in Florianopolis versus $464 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 74% higher in Florianopolis, 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 $44.00 in Florianopolis versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Florianopolis vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Florianopolis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Florianopolis

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

07:15 7:15 AM

10 h ahead of Florianopolis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

537,211

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Florianopolis Chiang Mai 16,570 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Florianopolis
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

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

Florianopolis costs about 36% 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 $1,918 per month in Florianopolis and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $777 per month in Florianopolis and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Florianopolis – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Florianopolis at $1,279. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Florianopolis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,279 in Florianopolis. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Florianopolis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.