Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Vicente and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Vicente: $824 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sao Vicente, Brazil
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sao Vicente
🇧🇷 Brazil
$824
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $824 per month in Sao Vicente vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sao Vicente $824
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,374 per month in Sao Vicente vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sao Vicente $1,374
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,925 per month in Sao Vicente vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sao Vicente $1,925
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Sao Vicente is about 12% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sao Vicente and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sao Vicente 39% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.66 R$40.94
$2.24 ฿75.7
241.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.75 R$180
$19.00 ฿642
77.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.67 R$35.68
$5.55 ฿188
20.18%
Cappuccino
$2.22 R$11.88
$1.67 ฿56.6
32.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 R$6.69
$0.64 ฿21.56
95.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 R$4.75
$0.31 ฿10.32
187.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.29 R$12.23
$2.36 ฿79.6
-2.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 R$15.26
$3.66 ฿124
-22.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 R$5.57
$1.95 ฿65.8
-46.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.83 R$9.80
$1.44 ฿48.51
27.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 R$6.63
$1.33 ฿45.07
-6.77%
Eggs
$2.34 R$12.53
$2.28 ฿77.1
2.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.26 R$60.2
$16.45 ฿556
-31.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.47 R$23.89
$2.78 ฿94.0
60.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.04 R$48.32
$9.31 ฿314
-2.90%
Apples (1kg)
$1.97 R$10.55
$2.35 ฿79.5
-16.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.75
$0.97 ฿32.82
29.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.40 R$7.47
$1.60 ฿53.9
-12.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.39 R$7.43
$1.50 ฿50.7
-7.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 R$6.27
$1.28 ฿43.15
-8.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.80
$1.10 ฿37.22
15.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.86 R$4.58
$0.71 ฿23.84
21.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 R$4.82
$0.49 ฿16.38
83.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.18 R$11.66
$4.14 ฿140
-47.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.46 R$39.89
$17.52 ฿592
-57.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.57
$1.61 ฿54.5
-11.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 R$12.57
$2.78 ฿94.0
-15.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 R$5.38
$0.87 ฿29.33
16.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.70 R$223
$54.1 ฿1,827
-22.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.09 R$5.81
$1.16 ฿39.08
-6.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 R$3.81
$0.53 ฿17.82
33.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.78 R$68.3
$2.42 ฿81.8
428.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 R$6.67
$1.45 ฿48.93
-13.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K R$115.1K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
2.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K R$165.3K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
14.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.8 R$325
$62.2 ฿2,100
-2.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.67 R$73.1
$12.17 ฿411
12.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.14 R$113
$20.12 ฿680
5.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.47 R$98.8
$37.31 ฿1,260
-50.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.16 R$124
$3.77 ฿127
514.32%
Cinema Ticket
$7.61 R$40.67
$6.49 ฿219
17.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$260 R$1,392
$736 ฿24.9K
-64.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,638 R$51.5K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-34.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.2 R$274
$53.4 ฿1,802
-4.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.61 R$185
$24.64 ฿832
40.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.6 R$442
$91.5 ฿3,089
-9.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 R$306
$71.9 ฿2,429
-20.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$261 R$1,394
$482 ฿16.3K
-45.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$206 R$1,101
$309 ฿10.4K
-33.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$792 R$4,235
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-21.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$493 R$2,636
$633 ฿21.4K
-22.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,600 R$8,557
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-32.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,129 R$6,037
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-28.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Vicente
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$371 R$1,982
$590 ฿19.9K
-37.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.21
5.57
101.26%

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

Last update for Sao Vicente: 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
Sao Vicente
$206
Chiang Mai
$309 50% $103
Groceries & Markets
Sao Vicente
$203
Chiang Mai
$234 15.3% $31
Eating Out
Sao Vicente
$134
Chiang Mai
$78 42% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Vicente
$102
Chiang Mai
$109 7% $7.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Vicente
$96
Chiang Mai
$94 1.2% $1.1
Getting Around
Sao Vicente
$50
Chiang Mai
$61 21.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Vicente
$34
Chiang Mai
$50 49.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Sao Vicente 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 59% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Sao Vicente versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Sao Vicente vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Sao Vicente wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Sao Vicente
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:05 5:05 PM
03:05 3:05 AM
10 h ahead of Sao Vicente
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
329,911
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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Vicente Chiang Mai 16,390 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Vicente
  • 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
Sao Vicente vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sao Vicente or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Sao Vicente, 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 Sao Vicente and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,236 per month in Sao Vicente 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, Sao Vicente or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Vicente, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $261 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Sao Vicente and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $260 per month in Sao Vicente 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 Sao Vicente or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 15% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Sao Vicente or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $824 in Sao Vicente and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Sao Vicente – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Sao Vicente or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Sao Vicente. 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.

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