Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $821 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$821

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $821 per month in Serra vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Serra $821
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,216 per month in Serra vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Serra $1,216
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,612 per month in Serra vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Serra $1,612
Chiang Mai $1,999

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 R$25.67

$2.13 ฿72.0

119.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.32 R$117

$18.62 ฿628

14.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.26 R$39.82

$5.60 ฿189

29.64%

Cappuccino

$1.87 R$10.28

$1.66 ฿56.1

12.65%

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

$1.19 R$6.56

$0.65 ฿21.82

83.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$3.18

$0.30 ฿10.29

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 R$10.29

$2.32 ฿78.3

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$15.19

$3.67 ฿124

-24.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.70

$2.02 ฿68.0

-48.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 R$9.57

$1.41 ฿47.49

23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.81

$1.39 ฿46.94

-23.74%

Eggs

$1.94 R$10.66

$2.37 ฿79.9

-18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 R$54.2

$16.52 ฿557

-40.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 R$22.65

$2.67 ฿90.1

54.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.05 R$44.17

$9.02 ฿304

-10.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$14.47

$2.40 ฿80.9

10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.62

$1.04 ฿35.12

33.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R$9.13

$1.66 ฿56.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.33

$1.56 ฿52.6

-2.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 R$6.22

$1.24 ฿41.75

-8.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.71

$1.09 ฿36.65

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R$6.50

$0.76 ฿25.70

55.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$7.00

$0.51 ฿17.34

150.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$12.79

$4.12 ฿139

-43.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.15 R$28.28

$17.93 ฿605

-71.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.25

$1.62 ฿54.8

-40.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 R$16.72

$2.82 ฿95.2

8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 R$4.61

$0.93 ฿31.52

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.66 R$245

$52.9 ฿1,784

-15.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.47

$1.18 ฿39.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 R$5.66

$0.17 ฿5.78

505.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.39 R$40.55

$1.81 ฿61.1

308.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.79

$1.47 ฿49.67

-28.57%

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

$21.8K R$119.4K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

3.55%

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

$30.7K R$168.6K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

15.89%

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

$143 R$786

$62.6 ฿2,110

128.82%

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

$11.42 R$62.7

$11.60 ฿391

-1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.71 R$108

$20.30 ฿685

-2.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.79 R$131

$37.88 ฿1,278

-37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 R$144

$3.70 ฿125

607.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 R$37.05

$6.51 ฿220

3.69%

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

$171 R$939

$727 ฿24.5K

-76.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,729 R$36.9K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-59.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 R$290

$53.5 ฿1,806

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.73 R$256

$24.80 ฿836

88.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 R$464

$90.4 ฿3,049

-6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.7 R$361

$72.0 ฿2,428

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 R$1,277

$481 ฿16.2K

-51.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 R$780

$310 ฿10.5K

-54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 R$2,278

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-60.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 R$1,108

$659 ฿22.2K

-69.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$902 R$4,952

$2,418 ฿81.5K

-62.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$514 R$2,822

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-68.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 R$2,772

$595 ฿20.1K

-15.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

97.49%

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

Last update for Serra: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Serra

$197 24%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 20.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serra

$174 21.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 45.8% $80

Accommodation & Living

Serra

$142 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 118% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Serra

$112 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 3.6% $4.1

Eating Out

Serra

$104 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 26.1% $27

Getting Around

Serra

$54 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 7.9% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Serra

$37 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 36.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $233 in Serra 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 18% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Serra versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Serra vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Serra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Serra

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

13:29 1:29 PM

10 h ahead of Serra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,653

127,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Serra Chiang Mai 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Serra
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Serra, 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 $1,231 per month in Serra 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 Serra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $233 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $171 per month in Serra 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 20% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

If budget matters most, go with Serra. 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.