Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cagayan de Oro City and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City: $771 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Cagayan de Oro City
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Cagayan de Oro City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cagayan de Oro City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Cagayan de Oro City $771
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,141 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Cagayan de Oro City $1,141
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,511 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Cagayan de Oro City $1,511
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Cagayan de Oro City costs roughly 18% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cagayan de Oro City 43% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 ₱231

$2.26 ฿75.4

62.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.80 ₱806

$19.18 ฿641

-33.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 ₱192

$5.59 ฿187

-45.44%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₱147

$1.72 ฿57.6

35.47%

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

$0.76 ₱47.91

$0.64 ฿21.54

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱39.98

$0.33 ฿11.18

93.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₱86.9

$2.36 ฿78.7

-41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$3.90 ฿130

-49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ₱93.4

$2.05 ฿68.6

-27.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₱56.2

$1.40 ฿46.70

-36.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$1.28 ฿42.89

-28.13%

Eggs

$2.17 ₱137

$2.25 ฿75.3

-3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ₱546

$16.94 ฿566

-48.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₱207

$2.74 ฿91.6

20.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.76 ₱363

$9.36 ฿313

-38.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₱129

$2.40 ฿80.3

-14.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₱68.3

$1.01 ฿33.92

6.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.61 ฿53.9

47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.9

$1.52 ฿50.7

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.28 ฿42.90

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ₱159

$1.11 ฿37.22

127.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ₱47.87

$0.72 ฿24.09

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.30

$0.52 ฿17.54

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₱190

$4.33 ฿145

-30.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.97 ₱250

$17.73 ฿593

-77.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₱77.0

$1.63 ฿54.4

-25.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱122

$2.85 ฿95.3

-32.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₱25.99

$0.85 ฿28.31

-51.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₱620

$53.9 ฿1,801

-81.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 ₱39.57

$1.17 ฿39.18

-46.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.18

$0.57 ฿19.00

-63.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.37 ฿79.2

-18.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₱67.8

$1.45 ฿48.32

-25.52%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

3.28%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-28.74%

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

$137 ₱8,600

$62.3 ฿2,083

119.16%

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

$22.77 ₱1,433

$12.27 ฿410

85.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 ₱1,921

$19.97 ฿668

52.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.70 ₱1,303

$37.91 ฿1,267

-45.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.87 ₱181

$3.76 ฿126

-23.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 ₱286

$6.71 ฿224

-32.19%

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

$66.4 ₱4,181

$797 ฿26.6K

-91.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,257 ₱142.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-84.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.71 ₱1,997

$53.3 ฿1,780

-40.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.08 ₱824

$25.05 ฿837

-47.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₱3,300

$91.6 ฿3,062

-42.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.65 ₱2,496

$73.5 ฿2,455

-46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ₱23.8K

$464 ฿15.5K

-18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₱14.4K

$305 ฿10.2K

-24.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₱43.7K

$915 ฿30.6K

-24.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 ₱28.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

-18.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,604 ₱101.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-16.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$951 ₱59.9K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-33.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 ₱19.0K

$595 ฿19.9K

-49.20%

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 Cagayan de Oro City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cagayan de Oro City

$229 29.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 33.3% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cagayan de Oro City

$190 24.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 50.2% $95

Groceries & Markets

Cagayan de Oro City

$165 21.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 43.9% $73

Eating Out

Cagayan de Oro City

$83 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 4.8% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Cagayan de Oro City

$62 8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 77.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cagayan de Oro City

$30 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 72.3% $22

Getting Around

Cagayan de Oro City

$13 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 366% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $377 in Cagayan de Oro City and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 97% 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: $13.00 in Cagayan de Oro City vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $238 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cagayan de Oro City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

23:19 11:19 PM

1 h behind Cagayan de Oro City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

728,402

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cagayan de Oro City Chiang Mai 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cagayan de Oro City
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

Cagayan de Oro City vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cagayan de Oro City and Chiang Mai differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($771 vs $938 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 97% 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: $377 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City 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, Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City 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.