Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabanatuan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $601 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$601

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $601 per month in Cabanatuan vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cabanatuan $601
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $954 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cabanatuan $954
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,308 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cabanatuan $1,308
Chiang Mai $1,999

Cabanatuan is about 36% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabanatuan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Cabanatuan 56% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 ₱246

$2.13 ฿71.8

81.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.59 ₱1,055

$18.62 ฿626

-10.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱172

$5.60 ฿188

-51.61%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₱111

$1.66 ฿55.9

4.82%

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

$0.60 ₱38.00

$0.65 ฿21.75

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.20

$0.30 ฿10.25

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$2.32 ฿78.1

-59.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱102

$3.67 ฿123

-56.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱104

$2.02 ฿67.8

-18.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.5

$1.41 ฿47.34

-21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.7

$1.39 ฿46.79

-36.69%

Eggs

$2.04 ₱130

$2.37 ฿79.6

-13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 ₱309

$16.52 ฿555

-70.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₱209

$2.67 ฿89.8

23.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.57 ₱481

$9.02 ฿303

-16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.40 ฿80.6

-5.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.9

$1.04 ฿35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.66 ฿55.8

43.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 ₱51.5

$1.56 ฿52.4

-48.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ₱104

$1.24 ฿41.61

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 ₱109

$1.09 ฿36.53

56.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.76 ฿25.61

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.96

$0.51 ฿17.29

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱186

$4.12 ฿139

-28.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.71 ₱554

$17.93 ฿603

-51.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₱55.7

$1.62 ฿54.6

-45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱131

$2.82 ฿94.9

-26.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.28

$0.93 ฿31.42

-74.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 ₱789

$52.9 ฿1,778

-76.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.3

$1.18 ฿39.56

-31.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.75

$0.17 ฿5.76

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.81 ฿60.9

2.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₱60.5

$1.47 ฿49.51

-35.37%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

1.59%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-27.26%

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

$52.5 ₱3,335

$62.6 ฿2,103

-16.16%

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

$17.00 ₱1,081

$11.60 ฿390

46.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.22 ₱1,349

$20.30 ฿683

4.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.94 ₱695

$37.88 ฿1,274

-71.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.15 ₱327

$3.70 ฿124

39.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 ₱321

$6.51 ฿219

-22.43%

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

$132 ₱8,365

$727 ฿24.4K

-81.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱682.1K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-35.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.07 ₱1,467

$53.5 ฿1,800

-56.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,227

$24.80 ฿834

-22.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 ₱3,674

$90.4 ฿3,039

-36.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ₱3,549

$72.0 ฿2,420

-22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₱15.9K

$481 ฿16.2K

-48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 ₱10.4K

$310 ฿10.4K

-47.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ₱30.8K

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-54.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₱22.2K

$659 ฿22.1K

-47.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 ₱167.3K

$2,418 ฿81.3K

8.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 ₱69.9K

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-31.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$159 ₱10.1K

$595 ฿20.0K

-73.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.57

21.18%

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

Last update for Cabanatuan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cabanatuan

$168 28%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 40.9% $69

Accommodation & Living

Cabanatuan

$164 27.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 88.8% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 4.2% $3.8

Eating Out

Cabanatuan

$72 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 6.9% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 54.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 142% $30

Getting Around

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 287% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $250 in Cabanatuan 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 in Chiang Mai are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Cabanatuan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $237 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:28 2:28 AM

01:28 1:28 AM

1 h behind Cabanatuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,231

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cabanatuan Chiang Mai 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cabanatuan
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $601 in Cabanatuan, $935 in Chiang Mai – Cabanatuan comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $901 per month in Cabanatuan 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 Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Cabanatuan and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $601 in Cabanatuan and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Cabanatuan about 36% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $601 in Cabanatuan and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. 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.