Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Angeles Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Angeles

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $838 in Angeles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $1,355 in Angeles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $1,872 in Angeles.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 2% more expensive than in Angeles, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Angeles 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$2.62 ₱161

-22.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$26.28 ₱1,609

-28.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$2.95 ₱181

166.44%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$2.02 ₱124

0.50%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.92 ₱56.3

-13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.40 ₱24.34

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.26 ₱76.9

69.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.17 ₱133

69.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.66 ₱101

4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.51 ₱92.2

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.02 ₱62.2

17.65%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$1.95 ₱119

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$9.46 ₱579

71.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$4.09 ₱250

-25.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$9.47 ₱580

14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$3.29 ₱201

-15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.51 ₱92.4

-22.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$2.79 ₱171

-38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.67 ₱102

-4.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$2.63 ₱161

-47.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$2.79 ₱171

-58.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$2.22 ₱136

-70.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.48 ₱29.14

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.70 ₱165

72.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$8.58 ₱525

107.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.33 ₱81.5

34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.60 ₱97.7

108.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.20 ₱12.41

355.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$1.21 ₱74.0

16.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.22 ₱13.42

509.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.63 ₱99.9

397.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.14 ₱69.6

7.89%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$40.8K ₱2.5M

-47.43%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$25.5K ₱1.6M

-14.29%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$145 ₱8,882

-50.84%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$36.04 ₱2,206

-61.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$31.85 ₱1,950

-43.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$30.10 ₱1,843

35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$7.18 ₱439

-4.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$5.48 ₱335

4.38%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$104 ₱6,385

195.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$7,497 ₱458.9K

95.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$33.25 ₱2,036

67.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$25.94 ₱1,588

0.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$71.9 ₱4,401

17.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$97.0 ₱5,935

-26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$369 ₱22.6K

14.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$195 ₱12.0K

24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$724 ₱44.3K

10.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$491 ₱30.0K

3.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$2,142 ₱131.1K

-10.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$636 ₱39.0K

130.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$298 ₱18.2K

99.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

-42.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Angeles: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $369 in Angeles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 100% 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 Chiang Mai vs $26.00 in Angeles. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $221, with Angeles cheaper for home cooking.

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

Angeles wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Angeles the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $369 in Angeles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $852 per month in Chiang Mai versus $838 in Angeles – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Angeles gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Angeles delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $838 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Angeles hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Angeles 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 Angeles gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.