Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imbituba and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Imbituba: $795 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Imbituba, Brazil
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Imbituba
🇧🇷 Brazil
$795
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $795 per month in Imbituba vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Imbituba $795
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,262 per month in Imbituba vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Imbituba $1,262
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,729 per month in Imbituba vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Imbituba $1,729
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Imbituba is about 15% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Imbituba and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Imbituba 41% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.73 R$25.83
$2.13 ฿71.2
122.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.27 R$154
$18.62 ฿622
51.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.38 R$34.85
$5.60 ฿187
13.93%
Cappuccino
$1.79 R$9.76
$1.66 ฿55.5
7.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 R$5.78
$0.65 ฿21.59
63.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 R$2.66
$0.30 ฿10.18
63.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 R$12.05
$2.32 ฿77.5
-5.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 R$12.33
$3.67 ฿122
-38.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 R$5.10
$2.02 ฿67.3
-53.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.15 R$6.30
$1.41 ฿47.00
-18.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.87 R$4.73
$1.39 ฿46.46
-37.41%
Eggs
$2.05 R$11.19
$2.37 ฿79.0
-13.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.55 R$41.25
$16.52 ฿551
-54.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.95 R$16.10
$2.67 ฿89.1
10.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.19 R$33.81
$9.02 ฿301
-31.37%
Apples (1kg)
$1.47 R$8.04
$2.40 ฿80.1
-38.75%
Banana (1kg)
$0.77 R$4.20
$1.04 ฿34.76
-25.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.14 R$6.25
$1.66 ฿55.4
-31.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.77 R$4.22
$1.56 ฿52.0
-50.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 R$3.96
$1.24 ฿41.31
-41.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 R$6.44
$1.09 ฿36.27
8.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 R$7.52
$0.76 ฿25.43
81.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 R$5.07
$0.51 ฿17.16
82.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.01 R$16.45
$4.12 ฿138
-26.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.63 R$47.15
$17.93 ฿598
-51.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 R$5.87
$1.62 ฿54.2
-33.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 R$16.35
$2.82 ฿94.2
6.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 R$5.05
$0.93 ฿31.19
-1.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.53 R$227
$52.9 ฿1,766
-21.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.89 R$10.35
$1.18 ฿39.28
60.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 R$8.25
$0.17 ฿5.72
788.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.12 R$49.86
$1.81 ฿60.5
403.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 R$6.66
$1.47 ฿49.16
-17.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5K R$123.0K
$21.0K ฿701.4K
7.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K R$172.4K
$26.5K ฿885.1K
19.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.4 R$313
$62.6 ฿2,088
-8.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.64 R$58.2
$11.60 ฿387
-8.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.85 R$108
$20.30 ฿678
-2.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.31 R$133
$37.88 ฿1,264
-35.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.89 R$141
$3.70 ฿123
599.73%
Cinema Ticket
$8.34 R$45.56
$6.51 ฿217
28.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$301 R$1,642
$727 ฿24.3K
-58.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,099 R$33.3K
$16.6K ฿553.2K
-63.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.34 R$231
$53.5 ฿1,787
-20.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$85.8 R$469
$24.80 ฿828
245.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.1 R$459
$90.4 ฿3,017
-6.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.5 R$352
$72.0 ฿2,402
-10.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$330 R$1,801
$481 ฿16.1K
-31.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$228 R$1,246
$310 ฿10.3K
-26.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$631 R$3,450
$1,058 ฿35.3K
-40.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$441 R$2,410
$659 ฿22.0K
-33.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,549 R$8,460
$2,418 ฿80.7K
-35.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,156 R$6,315
$1,609 ฿53.7K
-28.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Imbituba
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.5
5.57
88.51%

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

Last update for Imbituba: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Imbituba
$228
Chiang Mai
$310 35.8% $82
Groceries & Markets
Imbituba
$159
Chiang Mai
$237 49.2% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Imbituba
$125
Chiang Mai
$108 13% $16
Eating Out
Imbituba
$100
Chiang Mai
$77 23.5% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imbituba
$88
Chiang Mai
$94 7.5% $6.6
Getting Around
Imbituba
$55
Chiang Mai
$59 7.3% $4
Sport & Entertainment
Imbituba
$41
Chiang Mai
$51 24.2% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Imbituba versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Imbituba versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $159 in Imbituba vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Imbituba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Imbituba
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
19:52 7:52 PM
05:52 5:52 AM
10 h ahead of Imbituba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,579
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.13 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Imbituba Chiang Mai 16,570 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Imbituba
  • 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
Imbituba vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Imbituba or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Imbituba, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Imbituba and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,192 per month in Imbituba and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Imbituba or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Imbituba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $330 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Imbituba and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $301 per month in Imbituba and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Imbituba or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 49% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Imbituba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Imbituba vs other spots: cost of living compared

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