Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ribeirao Preto and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ribeirao Preto: $813 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ribeirao Preto
🇧🇷 Brazil
$813
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $813 per month in Ribeirao Preto vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ribeirao Preto $813
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,301 per month in Ribeirao Preto vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ribeirao Preto $1,301
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,789 per month in Ribeirao Preto vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ribeirao Preto $1,789
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Ribeirao Preto is about 13% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ribeirao Preto and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ribeirao Preto 40% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.19 R$44.55
$2.24 ฿75.6
265.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.57 R$210
$19.00 ฿641
103.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.62 R$36.01
$5.55 ฿187
19.28%
Cappuccino
$1.63 R$8.87
$1.67 ฿56.5
-2.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 R$4.96
$0.64 ฿21.54
42.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 R$3.60
$0.31 ฿10.31
112.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.10 R$6.00
$2.36 ฿79.5
-53.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 R$9.90
$3.66 ฿124
-50.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 R$4.95
$1.95 ฿65.7
-53.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 R$8.42
$1.44 ฿48.46
7.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.17 R$6.39
$1.33 ฿45.03
-12.03%
Eggs
$2.14 R$11.64
$2.28 ฿77.1
-6.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.36 R$50.9
$16.45 ฿555
-43.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.22 R$22.94
$2.78 ฿93.9
51.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.33 R$45.30
$9.31 ฿314
-10.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.50 R$13.59
$2.35 ฿79.4
6.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.91
$0.97 ฿32.79
30.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.48 R$8.04
$1.60 ฿53.9
-7.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.92 R$10.44
$1.50 ฿50.6
28.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.85
$1.28 ฿43.11
-1.56%
Onion (1kg)
$0.98 R$5.35
$1.10 ฿37.18
-10.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 R$5.81
$0.71 ฿23.82
50.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 R$5.09
$0.49 ฿16.36
91.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.39 R$13.01
$4.14 ฿140
-42.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.48 R$46.12
$17.52 ฿591
-51.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$6.45
$1.61 ฿54.5
-26.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 R$10.19
$2.78 ฿93.9
-32.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 R$5.00
$0.87 ฿29.30
5.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.77 R$271
$54.1 ฿1,825
-7.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.31 R$7.13
$1.16 ฿39.04
12.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.27 R$6.93
$0.53 ฿17.80
139.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.60 R$41.37
$2.42 ฿81.7
214.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 R$6.36
$1.45 ฿48.88
-19.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K R$119.2K
$21.1K ฿710.5K
4.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.0K R$163.0K
$26.9K ฿909.0K
11.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.4 R$416
$62.2 ฿2,098
22.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.12 R$60.5
$12.17 ฿411
-8.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.23 R$93.7
$20.12 ฿679
-14.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.55 R$106
$37.31 ฿1,259
-47.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.08 R$126
$3.77 ฿127
512.20%
Cinema Ticket
$6.43 R$34.96
$6.49 ฿219
-0.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$193 R$1,048
$736 ฿24.8K
-73.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,509 R$40.8K
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-49.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.25 R$257
$53.4 ฿1,801
-11.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.28 R$208
$24.64 ฿831
55.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 R$430
$91.5 ฿3,087
-13.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.4 R$274
$71.9 ฿2,427
-29.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$242 R$1,318
$482 ฿16.3K
-49.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$202 R$1,099
$309 ฿10.4K
-34.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$469 R$2,549
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-53.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 R$1,961
$633 ฿21.4K
-43.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,050 R$5,712
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-55.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$738 R$4,012
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-53.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ribeirao Preto
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$559 R$3,039
$590 ฿19.9K
-5.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.38
5.57
122.26%

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

Last update for Ribeirao Preto: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ribeirao Preto
$202
Chiang Mai
$309 52.9% $107
Groceries & Markets
Ribeirao Preto
$195
Chiang Mai
$234 19.9% $39
Eating Out
Ribeirao Preto
$120
Chiang Mai
$78 35.6% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ribeirao Preto
$105
Chiang Mai
$94 9.8% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Ribeirao Preto
$97
Chiang Mai
$109 12.2% $12
Getting Around
Ribeirao Preto
$61
Chiang Mai
$61 0.4% $0.2
Sport & Entertainment
Ribeirao Preto
$32
Chiang Mai
$50 55.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $242 in Ribeirao Preto versus $482 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 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 $39 in Ribeirao Preto versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Ribeirao Preto vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ribeirao Preto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Ribeirao Preto
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
07:33 7:33 AM
17:33 5:33 PM
10 h ahead of Ribeirao Preto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
698,642
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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ribeirao Preto Chiang Mai 16,540 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ribeirao Preto
  • 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
Ribeirao Preto vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ribeirao Preto or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Ribeirao Preto, 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 Ribeirao Preto and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,220 per month in Ribeirao Preto 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, Ribeirao Preto or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ribeirao Preto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $242 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Ribeirao Preto and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $193 per month in Ribeirao Preto and $736 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 Ribeirao Preto or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Ribeirao Preto or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $813 in Ribeirao Preto and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Ribeirao Preto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Ribeirao Preto or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Ribeirao Preto. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ribeirao Preto vs other spots: cost of living compared

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