Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paulo Afonso and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulo Afonso: $823 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Paulo Afonso
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Paulo Afonso Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Paulo Afonso

🇧🇷 Brazil

$823

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $823 per month in Paulo Afonso vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Paulo Afonso $823
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in Paulo Afonso vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Paulo Afonso $1,313
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,804 per month in Paulo Afonso vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Paulo Afonso $1,804
Chiang Mai $1,999

Paulo Afonso is about 12% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Paulo Afonso and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Paulo Afonso 39% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 R$30.62

$2.13 ฿72.0

163.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$164

$18.62 ฿628

61.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 R$39.98

$5.60 ฿189

30.71%

Cappuccino

$1.84 R$10.03

$1.66 ฿56.1

10.84%

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

$1.19 R$6.48

$0.65 ฿21.83

83.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.85

$0.30 ฿10.29

136.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 R$10.34

$2.32 ฿78.4

-18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$15.11

$3.67 ฿124

-24.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.11

$2.02 ฿68.0

-53.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 R$8.70

$1.41 ฿47.51

12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.35

$1.39 ฿46.96

-16.55%

Eggs

$2.06 R$11.27

$2.37 ฿79.9

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 R$47.79

$16.52 ฿557

-47.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 R$21.60

$2.67 ฿90.1

47.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$42.39

$9.02 ฿304

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R$11.21

$2.40 ฿80.9

-14.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.50

$1.04 ฿35.13

14.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 R$6.17

$1.66 ฿56.0

-31.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.98

$1.56 ฿52.6

-6.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.11

$1.24 ฿41.76

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.44

$1.09 ฿36.66

-8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 R$3.96

$0.76 ฿25.70

-3.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 R$4.24

$0.51 ฿17.35

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 R$12.41

$4.12 ฿139

-44.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 R$39.89

$17.93 ฿605

-59.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$6.40

$1.62 ฿54.8

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$10.84

$2.82 ฿95.2

-29.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$5.33

$0.93 ฿31.53

5.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.38 R$226

$52.9 ฿1,785

-21.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 R$6.76

$1.18 ฿39.70

5.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.28

$0.17 ฿5.79

358.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 R$41.37

$1.81 ฿61.1

318.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 R$6.35

$1.47 ฿49.69

-21.09%

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

$22.2K R$121.2K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

5.67%

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

$31.7K R$172.9K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

19.40%

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

$72.3 R$395

$62.6 ฿2,111

15.60%

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

$11.46 R$62.6

$11.60 ฿392

-1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.41 R$106

$20.30 ฿685

-4.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.60 R$134

$37.88 ฿1,278

-35.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.69 R$140

$3.70 ฿125

594.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 R$36.01

$6.51 ฿220

1.23%

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

$263 R$1,435

$727 ฿24.5K

-63.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,731 R$36.8K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-59.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 R$279

$53.5 ฿1,807

-4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 R$250

$24.80 ฿837

84.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 R$463

$90.4 ฿3,050

-6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 R$361

$72.0 ฿2,428

-8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 R$1,844

$481 ฿16.2K

-29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 R$1,255

$310 ฿10.5K

-25.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 R$3,435

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-40.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 R$2,497

$659 ฿22.2K

-30.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$8,528

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-35.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 R$6,308

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-28.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

97.49%

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

Last update for Paulo Afonso: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paulo Afonso

$230 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 34.8% $80

Groceries & Markets

Paulo Afonso

$179 21.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 32.4% $58

Eating Out

Paulo Afonso

$111 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 31.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Paulo Afonso

$111 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 2.8% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paulo Afonso

$103 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 8.5% $8.7

Getting Around

Paulo Afonso

$50 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 16.3% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Paulo Afonso

$38 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 34.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $338 in Paulo Afonso 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 $30 in Paulo Afonso versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $179 in Paulo Afonso vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Paulo Afonso wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Paulo Afonso

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

01:15 1:15 AM

10 h ahead of Paulo Afonso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,870

127,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Paulo Afonso Chiang Mai 15,300 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Paulo Afonso
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

Paulo Afonso vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Paulo Afonso, 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 $1,234 per month in Paulo Afonso and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paulo Afonso, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $338 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Paulo Afonso and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $823 in Paulo Afonso and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Paulo Afonso – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.