Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Chiang Mai $1,999

Rio de Janeiro costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.54

$2.13 ฿72.0

283.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$203

$18.62 ฿628

99.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.08

$5.60 ฿189

34.29%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.49

$1.66 ฿56.1

26.51%

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

$1.36 R$7.44

$0.65 ฿21.83

109.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.25

$0.30 ฿10.29

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.79

$2.32 ฿78.4

-14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.80

$3.67 ฿124

-11.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.93

$2.02 ฿68.0

-46.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.19

$1.41 ฿47.51

32.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.14

$1.39 ฿46.96

-19.42%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.03

$2.37 ฿79.9

-7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.1

$16.52 ฿557

-40.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.44

$2.67 ฿90.1

53.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.5

$9.02 ฿304

2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.15

$2.40 ฿80.9

7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.21

$1.04 ฿35.13

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.02

$1.66 ฿56.0

-11.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.37

$1.56 ฿52.6

10.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.31

$1.24 ฿41.76

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.45

$1.09 ฿36.66

-8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.59

$0.76 ฿25.70

-13.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.33

$0.51 ฿17.35

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.70

$4.12 ฿139

-34.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.33

$17.93 ฿605

-59.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.86

$1.62 ฿54.8

-33.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.22

$2.82 ฿95.2

-20.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.78

$0.93 ฿31.53

-5.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$286

$52.9 ฿1,785

-1.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.44

$1.18 ฿39.70

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.69

$0.17 ฿5.79

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.56

$1.81 ฿61.1

381.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.47 ฿49.69

-18.37%

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

$21.9K R$119.4K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

4.09%

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

$31.0K R$169.3K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

16.95%

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

$126 R$686

$62.6 ฿2,111

100.80%

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

$10.14 R$55.4

$11.60 ฿392

-12.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$114

$20.30 ฿685

3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$37.88 ฿1,278

-24.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$3.70 ฿125

680.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.43

$6.51 ฿220

13.67%

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

$537 R$2,932

$727 ฿24.5K

-26.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$86.8K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-4.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$211

$53.5 ฿1,807

-27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$246

$24.80 ฿837

81.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$375

$90.4 ฿3,050

-24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$350

$72.0 ฿2,428

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,192

$481 ฿16.2K

59.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,680

$310 ฿10.5K

58.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$7,964

$1,058 ฿35.7K

37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,056

$659 ฿22.2K

12.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.2K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

37.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,475

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-3.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,679

$595 ฿20.1K

13.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

5.57

114.18%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 36.8% $181

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 19.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 39.7% $62

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 44.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 11.2% $11

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 2.8% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 17.5% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Rio de Janeiro 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.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Rio de Janeiro vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

05:12 5:12 AM

10 h ahead of Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

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 = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Chiang Mai 16,070 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
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

Rio de Janeiro vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Rio de Janeiro 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $768 in Rio de Janeiro.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $935 versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio de Janeiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.