Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Macaé and in Chiang Mai: $887 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
Learn more

Macaé Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$887

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $887 per month in Macaé vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Macaé $887
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,495 per month in Macaé vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Macaé $1,495
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,102 per month in Macaé vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Macaé $2,102
Chiang Mai $1,903

Macaé is about 4% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Macaé and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Macaé 35% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 R$27.54

$2.29 ฿76.5

137.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 R$151

$19.64 ฿656

51.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 R$35.00

$5.61 ฿188

23.17%

Cappuccino

$1.72 R$8.73

$1.66 ฿55.6

3.61%

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

$1.39 R$7.04

$0.70 ฿23.40

98.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.18

$0.31 ฿10.24

103.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 R$6.16

$2.41 ฿80.4

-49.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 R$14.16

$3.71 ฿124

-24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 R$4.85

$1.95 ฿65.3

-50.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$7.91

$1.41 ฿47.03

10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.99

$1.31 ฿43.62

5.34%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.85

$2.18 ฿72.9

-11.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 R$46.21

$16.65 ฿556

-45.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 R$16.92

$2.76 ฿92.2

21.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 R$49.10

$9.11 ฿304

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 R$9.40

$2.39 ฿80.0

-22.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.11

$1.03 ฿34.26

16.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.85

$1.63 ฿54.4

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.21

$1.50 ฿50.0

-18.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.23

$1.29 ฿43.13

-50.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.09

$1.11 ฿37.03

-27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 R$2.73

$0.72 ฿24.08

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 R$2.64

$0.53 ฿17.59

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 R$7.88

$4.31 ฿144

-63.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R$30.86

$17.95 ฿600

-66.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.82

$1.58 ฿52.9

-39.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 R$6.35

$2.84 ฿95.0

-55.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R$8.16

$0.86 ฿28.86

87.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.9 R$425

$53.3 ฿1,780

57.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 R$7.14

$1.21 ฿40.29

16.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$4.03

$0.57 ฿18.99

38.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 R$40.16

$2.35 ฿78.6

237.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.44 ฿47.96

-10.42%

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

$21.5K R$109.0K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

3.73%

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

$31.2K R$158.2K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

16.41%

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

$100.0 R$507

$62.3 ฿2,083

60.36%

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

$10.21 R$51.7

$12.11 ฿405

-15.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 R$95.1

$19.94 ฿666

-5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 R$202

$37.07 ฿1,239

7.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.04 R$173

$3.78 ฿126

800.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 R$34.44

$6.50 ฿217

4.46%

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

$648 R$3,283

$793 ฿26.5K

-18.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,012 R$35.5K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-52.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 R$320

$53.7 ฿1,796

17.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 R$162

$24.62 ฿823

30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 R$339

$90.9 ฿3,036

-26.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.66 R$237

$71.1 ฿2,378

-34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 R$1,873

$455 ฿15.2K

-18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 R$1,221

$298 ฿9,954

-19.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 R$4,490

$908 ฿30.4K

-2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R$3,392

$554 ฿18.5K

20.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,270 R$6,436

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-34.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R$4,054

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-44.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 R$4,049

$591 ฿19.7K

35.17%

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 Macaé: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macaé

$241 27.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 23.7% $57

Groceries & Markets

Macaé

$169 19.1%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 39% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macaé

$129 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 26.8% $35

Eating Out

Macaé

$105 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 24.8% $26

Getting Around

Macaé

$96 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 36.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Macaé

$94 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 15.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Macaé

$53 6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.3% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $370 in Macaé 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 35% higher in Macaé, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Macaé versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Macaé vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Macaé wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Macaé

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

18:37 6:37 PM

10 h ahead of Macaé

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,391

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macaé Chiang Mai 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Macaé
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Macaé, 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 $1,330 per month in Macaé 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 Macaé, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $648 per month in Macaé 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 39% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Macaé, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Macaé 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. Macaé costs $887 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 Macaé. 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.