Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Grande, Brazil and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio Grande: $789 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Rio Grande
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Rio Grande Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio Grande

🇧🇷 Brazil

$789

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $789 per month in Rio Grande vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rio Grande $789
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,246 per month in Rio Grande vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rio Grande $1,246
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,703 per month in Rio Grande vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rio Grande $1,703
Chiang Mai $1,999

Rio Grande is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio Grande and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Rio Grande 42% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.36 R$40.19

$2.13 ฿72.0

245.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.58 R$134

$18.62 ฿628

32.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.39 R$34.91

$5.60 ฿189

14.11%

Cappuccino

$1.27 R$6.95

$1.66 ฿56.1

-23.49%

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

$1.11 R$6.04

$0.65 ฿21.83

70.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.16

$0.30 ฿10.29

153.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 R$12.25

$2.32 ฿78.4

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 R$15.31

$3.67 ฿124

-23.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 R$5.24

$2.02 ฿68.0

-52.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 R$8.48

$1.41 ฿47.51

9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.51

$1.39 ฿46.96

-27.34%

Eggs

$1.89 R$10.34

$2.37 ฿79.9

-20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.64 R$19.86

$16.52 ฿557

-77.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 R$25.07

$2.67 ฿90.1

71.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.54 R$52.1

$9.02 ฿304

5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.60

$2.40 ฿80.9

-3.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.70

$1.04 ฿35.13

35.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.21

$1.66 ฿56.0

-20.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 R$3.17

$1.56 ฿52.6

-62.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.25

$1.24 ฿41.76

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 R$3.39

$1.09 ฿36.66

-43.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 R$1.94

$0.76 ฿25.70

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.97

$0.51 ฿17.35

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 R$12.48

$4.12 ฿139

-44.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 R$40.04

$17.93 ฿605

-59.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 R$5.71

$1.62 ฿54.8

-35.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R$11.02

$2.82 ฿95.2

-28.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.47

$0.93 ฿31.53

7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.06 R$224

$52.9 ฿1,785

-22.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 R$6.80

$1.18 ฿39.70

5.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$4.09

$0.17 ฿5.79

341.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 R$42.86

$1.81 ฿61.1

333.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.99

$1.47 ฿49.69

-25.17%

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

$21.6K R$118.0K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

2.83%

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

$31.5K R$172.1K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

18.83%

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

$72.5 R$396

$62.6 ฿2,111

15.90%

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

$8.56 R$46.77

$11.60 ฿392

-26.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$113

$20.30 ฿685

1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.80 R$130

$37.88 ฿1,278

-37.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.52 R$139

$3.70 ฿125

589.73%

Cinema Ticket

$2.71 R$14.78

$6.51 ฿220

-58.37%

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

$256 R$1,400

$727 ฿24.5K

-64.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,654 R$36.3K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-59.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.12 R$164

$53.5 ฿1,807

-43.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 R$203

$24.80 ฿837

49.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 R$400

$90.4 ฿3,050

-19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 R$407

$72.0 ฿2,428

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,872

$481 ฿16.2K

-28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 R$1,256

$310 ฿10.5K

-25.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 R$3,515

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-39.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 R$2,474

$659 ฿22.2K

-31.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,563 R$8,536

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-35.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,123 R$6,135

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-30.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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 Rio Grande: October 31, 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 Grande

$230 29.1%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 34.8% $80

Groceries & Markets

Rio Grande

$164 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 44.3% $73

Eating Out

Rio Grande

$118 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 34.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio Grande

$102 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 7.1% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Rio Grande

$97 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 11.9% $12

Getting Around

Rio Grande

$50 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 17.2% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Rio Grande

$29 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 74.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Rio Grande 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 $25 in Rio Grande versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Rio Grande vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Rio Grande wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio Grande

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

02:09 2:09 AM

10 h ahead of Rio Grande

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,935

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio Grande Chiang Mai 16,770 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Rio Grande, 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 $1,184 per month in Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $343 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $256 per month in Rio Grande 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 44% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $789 in Rio Grande and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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