Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salvador and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Salvador and in Chiang Mai: $977 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

48

Cost of Living Index in Salvador
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Salvador Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Salvador

🇧🇷 Brazil

$977

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $977 per month in Salvador vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salvador $977
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,501 per month in Salvador vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salvador $1,501
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,024 per month in Salvador vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salvador $2,024
Chiang Mai $1,914

Salvador costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salvador and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Salvador 28% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.31 R$42.12

$2.26 ฿75.4

267.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.15 R$183

$19.18 ฿641

88.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 R$40.06

$5.59 ฿187

41.32%

Cappuccino

$2.59 R$13.15

$1.72 ฿57.6

50.58%

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

$1.33 R$6.73

$0.64 ฿21.54

107.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.46

$0.33 ฿11.18

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 R$12.84

$2.36 ฿78.7

7.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 R$20.40

$3.90 ฿130

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 R$7.20

$2.05 ฿68.6

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$7.76

$1.40 ฿46.70

9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.38

$1.28 ฿42.89

-1.56%

Eggs

$2.11 R$10.70

$2.25 ฿75.3

-6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 R$47.86

$16.94 ฿566

-44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 R$22.98

$2.74 ฿91.6

65.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 R$35.90

$9.36 ฿313

-24.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 R$10.93

$2.40 ฿80.3

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.86

$1.01 ฿33.92

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.94

$1.61 ฿53.9

-27.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.99

$1.52 ฿50.7

-9.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.55

$1.28 ฿42.90

-14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.75

$1.11 ฿37.22

19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.03

$0.72 ฿24.09

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R$5.65

$0.52 ฿17.54

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.31

$4.33 ฿145

-43.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R$30.86

$17.73 ฿593

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.63 ฿54.4

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.32

$2.85 ฿95.3

-28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 R$6.15

$0.85 ฿28.31

42.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 R$303

$53.9 ฿1,801

10.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 R$8.46

$1.17 ฿39.18

42.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 R$6.02

$0.57 ฿19.00

108.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 R$49.63

$2.37 ฿79.2

313.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.77

$1.45 ฿48.32

-7.59%

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

$23.4K R$118.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

14.18%

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

$33.3K R$168.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

25.61%

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

$94.2 R$478

$62.3 ฿2,083

51.15%

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

$9.72 R$49.30

$12.27 ฿410

-20.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.47 R$88.6

$19.97 ฿668

-12.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.01 R$132

$37.91 ฿1,267

-31.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.77 R$90.1

$3.76 ฿126

372.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 R$38.01

$6.71 ฿224

11.77%

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

$373 R$1,890

$797 ฿26.6K

-53.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K R$78.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

4.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 R$298

$53.3 ฿1,780

10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 R$180

$25.05 ฿837

41.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 R$452

$91.6 ฿3,062

-2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 R$421

$73.5 ฿2,455

13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 R$2,669

$464 ฿15.5K

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 R$1,416

$305 ฿10.2K

-8.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 R$4,810

$915 ฿30.6K

3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 R$2,310

$552 ฿18.5K

-17.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,145 R$10.9K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

12.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 R$6,956

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-4.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$397 R$2,010

$595 ฿19.9K

-33.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Salvador: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salvador

$279 28.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 9% $25

Groceries & Markets

Salvador

$192 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 23.9% $46

Eating Out

Salvador

$151 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 47.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salvador

$121 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 22.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Salvador

$120 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 8.7% $10

Getting Around

Salvador

$72 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 15% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Salvador

$41 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 25.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Salvador 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 50% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Salvador versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Salvador vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Salvador wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Salvador

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

19:09 7:09 PM

10 h ahead of Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,417,678

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 18, 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 18, 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

Salvador Chiang Mai 15,430 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Salvador
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

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

Salvador costs about 4% 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 $1,465 per month in Salvador 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $373 per month in Salvador and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Salvador – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Salvador at $977. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salvador it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $977 in Salvador. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salvador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.