Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bago and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $688 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Bago
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Bago Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$688

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Bago versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Bago $688
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,080 in Bago versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Bago $1,080
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,472 in Bago versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Bago $1,472
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bago costs roughly 27% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bago 49% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ₱281

$2.24 ฿75.6

96.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.67 ₱1,000

$19.00 ฿641

-17.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.86 ₱182

$5.55 ฿187

-48.47%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₱150

$1.67 ฿56.5

40.72%

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

$0.69 ₱43.74

$0.64 ฿21.53

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.49

$0.31 ฿10.30

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱80.4

$2.36 ฿79.5

-46.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₱115

$3.66 ฿124

-50.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.95 ฿65.7

-18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱79.0

$1.44 ฿48.45

-13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.9

$1.33 ฿45.01

-30.83%

Eggs

$1.72 ₱109

$2.28 ฿77.0

-24.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.11 ₱390

$16.45 ฿555

-62.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 ₱291

$2.78 ฿93.8

64.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.00 ₱447

$9.31 ฿314

-24.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ₱172

$2.35 ฿79.4

14.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ₱88.2

$0.97 ฿32.78

42.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 ₱139

$1.60 ฿53.9

36.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.5

$1.50 ฿50.6

-25.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱114

$1.28 ฿43.10

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.10 ฿37.17

86.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$0.71 ฿23.81

60.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.00

$0.49 ฿16.36

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱172

$4.14 ฿140

-35.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 ₱436

$17.52 ฿591

-60.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱64.7

$1.61 ฿54.5

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱107

$2.78 ฿93.9

-39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.87 ฿29.29

-77.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 ₱778

$54.1 ฿1,825

-77.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.8

$1.16 ฿39.03

-31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.42

$0.53 ฿17.79

-54.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₱115

$2.42 ฿81.7

-26.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₱85.6

$1.45 ฿48.87

-7.59%

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

$18.2K ₱1.2M

$21.1K ฿710.3K

-13.80%

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

$17.3K ₱1.1M

$26.9K ฿908.7K

-35.89%

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

$113 ₱7,188

$62.2 ฿2,097

81.20%

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

$14.33 ₱914

$12.17 ฿410

17.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.00 ₱1,404

$20.12 ฿679

9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.03 ₱1,789

$37.31 ฿1,259

-24.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₱294

$3.77 ฿127

22.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₱336

$6.49 ฿219

-18.80%

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

$112 ₱7,161

$736 ฿24.8K

-84.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,644 ₱551.5K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-41.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.74 ₱1,962

$53.4 ฿1,800

-42.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.38 ₱1,109

$24.64 ฿831

-29.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ₱3,933

$91.5 ฿3,086

-32.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,760

$71.9 ฿2,426

-18.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 ₱18.3K

$482 ฿16.3K

-40.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₱9,177

$309 ฿10.4K

-53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₱35.3K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-45.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.8K

$633 ฿21.4K

-43.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,770 ₱176.8K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

17.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$968 ₱61.8K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-39.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

Last update for Bago: 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

Bago

$179 26.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 30.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bago

$149 21.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 36.6% $55

Accommodation & Living

Bago

$144 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 115% $165

Eating Out

Bago

$86 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 9.7% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Bago

$76 11%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 43.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Bago

$39 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30.3% $12

Getting Around

Bago

$15 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 309% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Bago and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Bago vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $234 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bago

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

1 h behind Bago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,210

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.81 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

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Between locations

Bago Chiang Mai 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bago
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

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

Bago is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,031 in Bago and $1,403 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $286 in Bago versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Bago versus $736 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.