Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varginha and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Varginha: $692 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Varginha
Learn more

Varginha Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Varginha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$692

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Varginha vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Varginha $692
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,096 per month in Varginha vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Varginha $1,096
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,501 per month in Varginha vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Varginha $1,501
Chiang Mai $1,979

Varginha is about 26% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Varginha and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Varginha 49% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.22 R$44.00

$2.24 ฿75.7

266.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.48 R$120

$19.00 ฿642

18.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$34.47

$5.55 ฿188

16.04%

Cappuccino

$0.97 R$5.19

$1.67 ฿56.6

-41.92%

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

$0.82 R$4.39

$0.64 ฿21.56

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.91

$0.31 ฿10.32

74.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 R$7.04

$2.36 ฿79.6

-44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 R$17.77

$3.66 ฿124

-9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 R$4.68

$1.95 ฿65.8

-55.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$8.20

$1.44 ฿48.51

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 R$5.15

$1.33 ฿45.07

-27.82%

Eggs

$1.35 R$7.23

$2.28 ฿77.1

-40.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R$45.10

$16.45 ฿556

-48.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 R$18.45

$2.78 ฿94.0

24.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.29 R$44.34

$9.31 ฿314

-10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.06

$2.35 ฿79.5

-43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.07

$0.97 ฿32.82

36.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 R$5.09

$1.60 ฿53.9

-40.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.80

$1.50 ฿50.7

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 R$5.07

$1.28 ฿43.15

-25.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.81

$1.10 ฿37.22

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.45

$0.71 ฿23.84

-35.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.39

$0.49 ฿16.38

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 R$10.70

$4.14 ฿140

-51.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 R$25.14

$17.52 ฿592

-73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.42

$1.61 ฿54.5

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 R$9.03

$2.78 ฿94.0

-39.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 R$4.47

$0.87 ฿29.33

-4.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.10 R$252

$54.1 ฿1,827

-12.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 R$4.74

$1.16 ฿39.08

-23.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.58

$0.53 ฿17.82

26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 R$31.31

$2.42 ฿81.8

141.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.73

$1.45 ฿48.93

-26.21%

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

$21.9K R$117.1K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

3.92%

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

$27.0K R$144.7K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

0.36%

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

$95.0 R$508

$62.2 ฿2,100

52.77%

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

$4.60 R$24.64

$12.17 ฿411

-62.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.26 R$97.7

$20.12 ฿680

-9.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.85 R$128

$37.31 ฿1,260

-36.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.19 R$140

$3.77 ฿127

594.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 R$39.70

$6.49 ฿219

14.33%

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

$201 R$1,076

$736 ฿24.9K

-72.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,073 R$21.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-72.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.83 R$176

$53.4 ฿1,802

-38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 R$295

$24.64 ฿832

123.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 R$402

$91.5 ฿3,089

-17.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 R$294

$71.9 ฿2,429

-23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$137 R$735

$482 ฿16.3K

-71.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 R$598

$309 ฿10.4K

-63.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 R$1,360

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-74.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,268

$633 ฿21.4K

-62.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,568 R$8,390

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-33.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,166 R$6,242

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-26.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 R$2,252

$590 ฿19.9K

-28.65%

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 Varginha: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Varginha

$155 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 50.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varginha

$118 17%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 19.8% $23

Eating Out

Varginha

$115 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 32.8% $38

Accommodation & Living

Varginha

$112 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 176% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Varginha

$98 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 10.8% $11

Getting Around

Varginha

$55 7.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 12.3% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Varginha

$39 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $137 in Varginha 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 40% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Varginha versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $155 in Varginha vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Varginha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Varginha

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

10 h ahead of Varginha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,467

127,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Varginha Chiang Mai 16,300 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Varginha
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Varginha, 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 $1,038 per month in Varginha 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 Varginha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Varginha and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Varginha – 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 Varginha. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.