Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Itajai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,002 in Itajai, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Itajai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Itajai
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Itajai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Itajai

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,002

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,002 per month in Itajai vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Itajai $1,002
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Itajai vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Itajai $1,225
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,448 per month in Itajai vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Itajai $1,448
Chiang Mai $1,914

Itajai costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Itajai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Itajai 26% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 R$29.75

$2.26 ฿75.4

159.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.47 R$205

$19.18 ฿641

111.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 R$45.86

$5.59 ฿187

61.90%

Cappuccino

$2.52 R$12.77

$1.72 ฿57.6

46.51%

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

$1.16 R$5.88

$0.64 ฿21.54

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.87

$0.33 ฿11.18

190.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 R$13.83

$2.36 ฿78.7

15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R$15.63

$3.90 ฿130

-21.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.93

$2.05 ฿68.6

-52.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$7.95

$1.40 ฿46.70

12.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.28 ฿42.89

-19.53%

Eggs

$2.19 R$11.12

$2.25 ฿75.3

-2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 R$49.60

$16.94 ฿566

-42.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 R$22.87

$2.74 ฿91.6

64.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.44

$9.36 ฿313

-16.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.30

$2.40 ฿80.3

-23.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.84

$1.01 ฿33.92

-4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.61 ฿53.9

-37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.92

$1.52 ฿50.7

-10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.28 ฿42.90

-35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 R$2.95

$1.11 ฿37.22

-47.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.79

$0.72 ฿24.09

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 R$3.94

$0.52 ฿17.54

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 R$14.97

$4.33 ฿145

-31.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 R$37.03

$17.73 ฿593

-58.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.30

$1.63 ฿54.4

-47.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 R$9.65

$2.85 ฿95.3

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.45

$0.85 ฿28.31

3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.46

$1.17 ฿39.18

9.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.21

$0.57 ฿19.00

45.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 R$30.93

$2.37 ฿79.2

157.38%

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$119.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

15.42%

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

$33.4K R$169.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

25.99%

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

$101 R$514

$62.3 ฿2,083

62.52%

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

$11.17 R$56.6

$12.27 ฿410

-8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.25 R$118

$19.97 ฿668

16.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.46 R$139

$37.91 ฿1,267

-27.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 R$38.96

$6.71 ฿224

14.61%

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

$283 R$1,435

$797 ฿26.6K

-64.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,139 R$26.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-65.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 R$369

$53.3 ฿1,780

36.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.0 R$375

$25.05 ฿837

195.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 R$496

$91.6 ฿3,062

6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 R$410

$73.5 ฿2,455

10.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R$2,524

$464 ฿15.5K

7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 R$1,812

$305 ฿10.2K

17.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 R$7,232

$915 ฿30.6K

55.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,324 R$11.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

21.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$632 R$3,201

$595 ฿19.9K

6.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.68

5.57

91.74%

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

Last update for Itajai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Itajai

$357 35.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 14.8% $53

Groceries & Markets

Itajai

$178 17.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 33.8% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Itajai

$146 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 25.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Itajai

$136 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 30.3% $41

Eating Out

Itajai

$133 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 40.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Itajai

$43 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 19.9% $8.5

Getting Around

Itajai

$8.9 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 586% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $498 in Itajai 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 6% higher in Itajai, 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 $40.00 in Itajai versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $178 in Itajai vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Itajai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Itajai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

10 h ahead of Itajai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

264,054

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

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Between locations

Itajai Chiang Mai 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Itajai
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

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

Itajai costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,503 per month in Itajai 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Itajai and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 34% cheaper in Itajai – 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 Itajai at $1,002. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Itajai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,002 in Itajai. 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, Itajai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.