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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $743 in Bacoor, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,104 in Bacoor, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,465 in Bacoor, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Bacoor, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bacoor are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bacoor 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$4.35 ₱273

-52.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$16.66 ₱1,047

17.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.77 ₱174

104.69%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$2.23 ₱140

-18.83%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$0.60 ₱37.77

28.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.29 ₱18.35

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.01 ₱63.7

118.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$2.36 ₱148

60.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$1.69 ₱106

21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.11 ₱70.0

36.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$0.90 ₱56.4

55.56%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$1.80 ₱113

25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$5.17 ₱325

213.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.45 ₱217

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$7.21 ₱453

30.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$2.32 ₱146

15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$1.36 ₱85.5

-19.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$2.40 ₱151

-32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$1.07 ₱67.5

36.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$1.69 ₱106

-24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$1.73 ₱109

-38.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.62 ₱39.03

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.50 ₱31.39

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.75 ₱173

53.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$7.51 ₱472

143.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$0.98 ₱61.7

66.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.78 ₱112

62.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.24 ₱14.88

266.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

$10.76 ₱676

399.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$0.77 ₱48.49

51.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$0.23 ₱14.47

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$1.96 ₱123

21.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$1.13 ₱70.8

28.32%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-2.26%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$18.6K ₱1.2M

41.84%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$141 ₱8,833

-54.73%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$14.43 ₱906

-10.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$23.32 ₱1,465

-12.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$28.30 ₱1,778

37.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$5.37 ₱337

-27.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$5.28 ₱332

24.62%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$72.1 ₱4,529

987.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$2,478 ₱155.7K

492.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$28.93 ₱1,818

90.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$19.66 ₱1,235

25.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$72.9 ₱4,578

29.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$56.7 ₱3,564

30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$258 ₱16.2K

89.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$173 ₱10.9K

66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$442 ₱27.8K

101.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$354 ₱22.2K

47.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$2,220 ₱139.5K

-11.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$1,078 ₱67.7K

33.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$296 ₱18.6K

103.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bacoor: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $258 in Bacoor. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 103% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $17.00 in Bacoor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $168 – making Bacoor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bacoor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 26%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,114 in Bacoor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 43% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $17.00 in Bacoor. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacoor, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Bacoor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacoor – 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 Bacoor. 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.