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 $849 in Angeles.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $1,346 in Angeles.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $1,844 in Angeles.

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 36% lower, Angeles 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$2.74 ₱169

-28.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$26.40 ₱1,629

-28.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$2.96 ₱183

167.57%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.07 ₱127

-7.73%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.92 ₱56.6

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.40 ₱24.58

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.27 ₱78.1

74.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.26 ₱139

68.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.72 ₱106

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.48 ₱91.5

9.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.96 ₱59.4

22.92%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.87 ₱115

7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$9.42 ₱581

68.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$4.19 ₱258

-28.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$9.79 ₱604

10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$3.35 ₱206

-22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.49 ₱91.7

-18.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$2.85 ₱176

-40.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.60 ₱99.0

-1.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$2.67 ₱164

-50.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$2.80 ₱172

-58.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$2.21 ₱136

-69.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.48 ₱29.59

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$2.61 ₱161

73.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$9.26 ₱571

96.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.39 ₱85.5

31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.67 ₱103

93.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.18 ₱11.37

394.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.25 ₱77.1

8.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.22 ₱13.56

513.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.58 ₱97.6

422.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.09 ₱67.3

16.51%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$39.8K ₱2.5M

-46.84%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$24.9K ₱1.5M

-9.72%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$146 ₱9,036

-52.11%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$36.90 ₱2,276

-62.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$31.84 ₱1,964

-44.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$29.49 ₱1,819

40.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$6.90 ₱426

-4.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$5.18 ₱319

11.58%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$106 ₱6,526

189.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$7,346 ₱453.1K

101.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$33.19 ₱2,047

63.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$25.74 ₱1,588

1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$72.2 ₱4,453

17.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$97.7 ₱6,025

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$371 ₱22.9K

14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$192 ₱11.8K

24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$742 ₱45.7K

11.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$488 ₱30.1K

5.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,168 ₱133.7K

-5.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$668 ₱41.2K

128.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$307 ₱19.0K

106.70%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Angeles: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $371 in Angeles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 107% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $26.00 in Angeles. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $224, 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

Chiang Mai pays 107% more on average, 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $371 in Angeles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Angeles – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 $849 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.

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.