Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Albay

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $729 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Albay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Albay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $729 in Albay.

Chiang Mai $925
Albay $729

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,108 in Albay.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Albay $1,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $1,487 in Albay.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Albay $1,487

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 27% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Albay 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿77.3

$3.78 ₱242

-39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿664

$16.81 ₱1,074

16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿190

$2.82 ₱180

98.94%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.2

$2.19 ₱140

-24.20%

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

$0.70 ฿23.65

$0.63 ₱40.22

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.35

$0.33 ₱21.13

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.3

$1.12 ₱71.7

115.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿126

$1.99 ₱127

86.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿66.0

$1.61 ₱103

21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.55

$1.12 ₱71.8

25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.96 ₱61.4

36.46%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.7

$1.88 ₱120

15.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿563

$5.70 ₱365

192.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.2

$4.21 ₱269

-34.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿308

$6.95 ₱445

31.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.9

$2.33 ₱149

2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.64

$1.56 ₱99.7

-33.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿55.0

$2.42 ₱155

-32.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.17 ₱75.1

28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.61

$1.93 ₱123

-33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.44

$1.96 ₱125

-43.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.35

$0.98 ₱62.4

-26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.54 ₱34.46

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿146

$2.90 ₱186

48.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿606

$7.69 ₱491

133.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.5

$0.96 ₱61.4

64.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿96.1

$1.95 ₱125

45.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿29.18

$0.24 ₱15.19

258.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,800

$11.21 ₱717

375.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.73

$0.74 ₱47.17

63.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.20

$0.23 ₱14.72

147.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.93 ₱124

21.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.49

$1.24 ₱79.1

16.13%

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

$20.7K ฿700.5K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.29%

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

$26.8K ฿905.6K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

41.66%

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

$62.3 ฿2,106

$124 ₱7,929

-49.75%

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

$12.11 ฿409

$15.06 ₱963

-19.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿674

$24.69 ₱1,578

-19.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,252

$32.74 ₱2,093

13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿128

$4.58 ₱293

-17.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿220

$5.24 ₱335

24.05%

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

$793 ฿26.8K

$131 ₱8,392

503.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿500.3K

$7,896 ₱504.8K

87.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,816

$33.24 ₱2,125

61.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿832

$19.61 ₱1,254

25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,070

$70.4 ₱4,500

29.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,404

$56.3 ₱3,596

26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

$261 ₱16.7K

74.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.1K

$170 ₱10.9K

75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.7K

$512 ₱32.7K

77.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

$351 ₱22.5K

57.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿65.2K

$2,446 ₱156.4K

-21.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.8K

$974 ₱62.3K

48.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿20.0K

$162 ₱10.3K

265.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.79

-17.97%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Albay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Albay

$170 23.3% 42.9% $128

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Albay

$178 24.5% 24.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Albay

$81 11.1% 25.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Albay

$164 22.5% 73.5% $69

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Albay

$78 10.8% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Albay

$14 1.9% 76.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Albay

$43 5.9% 13.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $261 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Chiang Mai vs $17 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $178 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Albay

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

00:05 12:05 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

179,481

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.79 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.91 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 63.93 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.73 PHP (100 PHP = 1.39 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Albay

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

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

Chiang Mai and Albay differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($925 vs $729 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 3.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $261 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17 versus $20 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Albay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.