Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pelotas and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Pelotas: $759 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Pelotas
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Pelotas Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Pelotas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$759

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $759 per month in Pelotas vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pelotas $759
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,178 per month in Pelotas vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pelotas $1,178
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,598 per month in Pelotas vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pelotas $1,598
Chiang Mai $1,914

Pelotas is about 19% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pelotas and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Pelotas 44% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 R$31.21

$2.26 ฿75.4

172.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.70 R$89.7

$19.18 ฿641

-7.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 R$33.78

$5.59 ฿187

19.14%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.64

$1.72 ฿57.6

44.77%

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

$1.35 R$6.86

$0.64 ฿21.54

110.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.65

$0.33 ฿11.18

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 R$7.41

$2.36 ฿78.7

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.87

$3.90 ฿130

-60.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.47

$2.05 ฿68.6

-57.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.40 ฿46.70

-15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.61

$1.28 ฿42.89

-28.91%

Eggs

$2.31 R$11.69

$2.25 ฿75.3

2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 R$51.5

$16.94 ฿566

-40.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 R$23.91

$2.74 ฿91.6

72.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$49.37

$9.36 ฿313

4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.40 ฿80.3

2.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.01

$1.01 ฿33.92

17.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.11

$1.61 ฿53.9

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.19

$1.52 ฿50.7

-19.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.15

$1.28 ฿42.90

-5.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.11 ฿37.22

-11.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 R$4.41

$0.72 ฿24.09

20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 R$2.59

$0.52 ฿17.54

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.08

$4.33 ฿145

-45.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.50 R$38.01

$17.73 ฿593

-57.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.44

$1.63 ฿54.4

-58.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.14

$2.85 ฿95.3

-64.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.25

$0.85 ฿28.31

44.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 R$266

$53.9 ฿1,801

-2.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 R$6.66

$1.17 ฿39.18

11.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R$4.03

$0.57 ฿19.00

40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 R$41.92

$2.37 ฿79.2

248.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.45 ฿48.32

-11.72%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

14.92%

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

$33.8K R$171.4K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

27.51%

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

$77.7 R$394

$62.3 ฿2,083

24.72%

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

$7.73 R$39.19

$12.27 ฿410

-37.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.15 R$102

$19.97 ฿668

0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.80 R$100

$37.91 ฿1,267

-47.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 R$102

$3.76 ฿126

435.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 R$25.08

$6.71 ฿224

-26.23%

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

$573 R$2,902

$797 ฿26.6K

-28.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K R$122.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

62.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.20 R$178

$53.3 ฿1,780

-33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.28 R$154

$25.05 ฿837

20.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 R$307

$91.6 ฿3,062

-33.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 R$410

$73.5 ฿2,455

10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,202

$464 ฿15.5K

-48.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 R$843

$305 ฿10.2K

-45.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 R$1,978

$915 ฿30.6K

-57.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 R$1,603

$552 ฿18.5K

-42.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,579 R$8,004

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-17.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$802 R$4,065

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-44.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$460 R$2,331

$595 ฿19.9K

-22.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.57

106.46%

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

Last update for Pelotas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pelotas

$184 24.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 29.5% $54

Accommodation & Living

Pelotas

$166 21.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 83.3% $138

Eating Out

Pelotas

$118 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 33% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pelotas

$106 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 10.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Pelotas

$93 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 17.5% $16

Getting Around

Pelotas

$63 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 2.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Pelotas

$30 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 72.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Pelotas 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 29% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $18.00 in Pelotas versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $238 – making Pelotas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Pelotas

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

18:36 6:36 PM

10 h ahead of Pelotas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,685

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

Pelotas Chiang Mai 16,810 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Pelotas
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 24% more than Pelotas, 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 $1,139 per month in Pelotas 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 Pelotas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $573 per month in Pelotas and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 Pelotas, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Pelotas 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. Pelotas costs $759 versus $938 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 Pelotas. 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.