Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boracay and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $772 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
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Boracay Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$772

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Boracay versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Boracay $772
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,313 in Boracay versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Boracay $1,313
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,854 in Boracay versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Boracay $1,854
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Boracay costs roughly 18% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Boracay 43% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.73 ₱361

$2.26 ฿75.4

153.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.15 ₱1,206

$19.18 ฿641

-0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 ₱374

$5.59 ฿187

6.26%

Cappuccino

$2.37 ₱149

$1.72 ฿57.6

37.79%

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

$0.70 ₱43.78

$0.64 ฿21.54

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.44

$0.33 ฿11.18

-30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$2.36 ฿78.7

-50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

$3.90 ฿130

-50.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 ₱186

$2.05 ฿68.6

43.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₱61.9

$1.40 ฿46.70

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.3

$1.28 ฿42.89

-30.47%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$2.25 ฿75.3

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 ₱323

$16.94 ฿566

-69.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 ₱301

$2.74 ฿91.6

74.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 ₱459

$9.36 ฿313

-22.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 ₱158

$2.40 ฿80.3

4.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.01 ฿33.92

57.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₱139

$1.61 ฿53.9

37.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.9

$1.52 ฿50.7

-28.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 ₱133

$1.28 ฿42.90

64.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.11 ฿37.22

81.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₱62.5

$0.72 ฿24.09

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱35.84

$0.52 ฿17.54

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 ₱144

$4.33 ฿145

-47.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 ₱489

$17.73 ฿593

-56.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.5

$1.63 ฿54.4

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.85 ฿95.3

-38.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.09

$0.85 ฿28.31

-71.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.23 ₱707

$53.9 ฿1,801

-79.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.52

$1.17 ฿39.18

-43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.18

$0.57 ฿19.00

-59.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.37 ฿79.2

-18.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.45 ฿48.32

-23.45%

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

$23.7K ₱1.5M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

15.56%

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

$22.0K ₱1.4M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-16.91%

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

$111 ₱6,979

$62.3 ฿2,083

77.83%

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

$14.23 ₱896

$12.27 ฿410

15.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.84 ₱2,131

$19.97 ฿668

69.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.95 ₱1,886

$37.91 ฿1,267

-21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.12 ₱323

$3.76 ฿126

36.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.26 ₱331

$6.71 ฿224

-21.61%

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

$136 ₱8,591

$797 ฿26.6K

-82.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,041 ₱506.2K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-45.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.09 ₱2,272

$53.3 ฿1,780

-32.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 ₱1,209

$25.05 ฿837

-23.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 ₱4,773

$91.6 ฿3,062

-17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ₱3,723

$73.5 ฿2,455

-19.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 ₱16.9K

$464 ฿15.5K

-42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.9K

$305 ฿10.2K

-42.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₱32.9K

$915 ฿30.6K

-42.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₱38.6K

$552 ฿18.5K

11.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,441 ₱153.7K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

27.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$979 ₱61.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-31.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 ₱14.4K

$595 ฿19.9K

-61.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.57

21.90%

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

Last update for Boracay: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Boracay

$193 25%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 23.2% $45

Accommodation & Living

Boracay

$174 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 75.2% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boracay

$159 20.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 40.5% $64

Eating Out

Boracay

$105 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 25.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Boracay

$86 11.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 27.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Boracay

$40 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 26.9% $11

Getting Around

Boracay

$14 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 339% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Boracay and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 160% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Boracay vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $238 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Boracay

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

16:22 4:22 PM

1 h behind Boracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,296

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boracay Chiang Mai 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Boracay
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

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

Boracay and Chiang Mai differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($772 vs $938 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 160% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $268 in Boracay versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Boracay versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Boracay and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.