Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bacong

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacong: $647 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Bacong
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Bacong Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Bacong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $647 in Bacong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Bacong $647

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $981 in Bacong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Bacong $981

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,314 in Bacong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Bacong $1,314

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Bacong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Bacong are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Bacong 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.73 ₱172

-17.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$18.84 ₱1,186

1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.14 ₱198

78.03%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.02 ₱127

-14.85%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.68 ₱42.84

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.33 ₱20.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$0.92 ₱57.9

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.72 ₱108

126.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.60 ₱101

28.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.15 ₱72.5

21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.88 ₱55.4

45.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.07 ₱130

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.95 ₱374

184.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.98 ₱251

-31.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$6.30 ₱397

48.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.28 ₱206

-26.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.08 ₱67.8

-6.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.93 ₱184

-45.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.43 ₱90.3

6.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.38 ₱150

-46.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.72 ₱172

-59.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.39 ₱87.6

-48.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.81 ₱51.3

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.99 ₱188

44.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$6.46 ₱407

174.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.08 ₱67.8

50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.31 ₱82.3

117.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.22 ₱14.13

286.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$9.96 ₱627

441.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.79 ₱49.61

48.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.36 ₱22.84

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.45 ₱155

-3.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.99 ₱62.6

46.46%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-2.70%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

39.77%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$51.4 ₱3,233

21.36%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$9.28 ₱584

32.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$27.26 ₱1,716

-26.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$32.11 ₱2,022

18.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$3.98 ₱251

-5.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.66 ₱294

43.99%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$32.30 ₱2,034

2367.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$8,576 ₱539.9K

72.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$33.62 ₱2,117

58.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$19.41 ₱1,222

29.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$56.3 ₱3,543

62.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$23.62 ₱1,487

211.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$147 ₱9,270

215.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$191 ₱12.0K

59.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$587 ₱36.9K

56.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$305 ₱19.2K

81.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,384 ₱150.1K

-19.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,056 ₱66.5K

36.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.33

-24.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bacong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Bacong

$191 29.5% 37.4% $114

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Bacong

$187 28.8% 21.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Bacong

$60 9.2% 45.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Bacong

$88 13.6% 7.1% $6.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Bacong

$68 10.4% 14.5% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Bacong

$13 2.1% 78.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Bacong

$41 6.4% 19.3% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $147 in Bacong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $19.00 in Bacong. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $187 in Bacong – so Bacong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Bacong

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

41,207

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bacong 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bacong

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 Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $971 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $19.00 in Bacong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $647 in Bacong. That's a gap of about 45%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacong, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Bacong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bacong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.