Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Angeles

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Angeles: $935 and $915 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Angeles
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Angeles Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Angeles

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Angeles actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $915 in Angeles.

Chiang Mai $935
Angeles $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,350 in Angeles.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Angeles $1,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,786 in Angeles.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Angeles $1,786

Monthly costs are close between Chiang Mai and Angeles; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Angeles 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$3.23 ₱204

-34.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$23.76 ₱1,496

-21.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$2.85 ₱180

96.49%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.30 ₱145

-27.83%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.52 ₱32.94

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.36 ₱22.65

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$1.57 ₱98.9

47.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.92 ₱121

91.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.68 ₱106

20.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$1.51 ₱95.2

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$0.84 ₱52.7

65.48%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.89 ₱119

25.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$3.21 ₱202

414.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$3.23 ₱204

-17.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$7.13 ₱449

26.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$2.50 ₱158

-4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.93 ₱121

-46.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.78 ₱175

-40.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$0.91 ₱57.6

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$1.40 ₱88.2

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$1.37 ₱86.4

-20.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.62 ₱38.95

22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.32 ₱20.47

59.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.93 ₱185

40.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$7.07 ₱445

153.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.93 ₱58.9

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$1.24 ₱77.8

127.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.24 ₱15.10

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$13.51 ₱851

291.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$1.05 ₱66.2

12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.22 ₱13.88

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$1.86 ₱117

-2.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.13 ₱71.1

30.09%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-0.81%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

38.74%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$158 ₱9,972

-60.49%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$8.04 ₱506

44.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$31.84 ₱2,005

-36.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$31.91 ₱2,009

18.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$4.70 ₱296

38.51%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$9,426 ₱593.6K

75.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$49.86 ₱3,140

7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$20.26 ₱1,276

22.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$55.2 ₱3,475

63.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$80.4 ₱5,063

-10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$505 ₱31.8K

-4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$324 ₱20.4K

-4.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$792 ₱49.9K

33.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$599 ₱37.7K

10.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$332 ₱20.9K

79.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-20.43%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Angeles: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Angeles

$324 35.5% 4.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Angeles

$164 18% 30.5% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Angeles

$93 10.1% 14.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Angeles

$198 21.7% 110% $104

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Angeles

$77 8.5% 0.9% $0.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Angeles

$17 1.8% 71.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Angeles

$41 4.5% 18.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $505 in Angeles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 79% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $24 in Angeles. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $164, with Angeles cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Angeles

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

02:22 2:22 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

462,928

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.98 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.73 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Angeles 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Angeles

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 Angeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 79% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $505 in Angeles. 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.

A monthly transit pass in Angeles runs roughly 74% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Angeles is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Chiang Mai and Angeles are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Angeles wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.