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 $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $794 in Bacoor, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,200 in Bacoor, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,606 in Bacoor, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Bacoor, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bacoor are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bacoor 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$3.63 ₱224

-46.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$13.13 ₱810

43.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$2.61 ₱161

203.45%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.35 ₱145

-18.72%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.64 ₱39.47

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.34 ₱21.10

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.25 ₱77.1

76.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$1.98 ₱122

91.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.91 ₱118

-14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.24 ₱76.7

30.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$1.06 ₱65.3

11.32%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$2.04 ₱126

-1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$7.06 ₱435

125.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.90 ₱241

-22.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$7.22 ₱445

49.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$2.66 ₱164

-1.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.55 ₱95.4

-21.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$2.28 ₱141

-25.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.22 ₱75.5

29.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$1.82 ₱112

-27.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$2.20 ₱135

-46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.68 ₱41.78

-1.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.77 ₱47.73

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$3.24 ₱200

39.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$7.61 ₱469

139.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.07 ₱65.7

71.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.97 ₱122

63.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.28 ₱17.40

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.78 ₱48.14

73.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.24 ₱14.83

462.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$2.15 ₱133

283.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.16 ₱71.3

9.48%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$25.6K ₱1.6M

-17.27%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

10.08%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$148 ₱9,148

-52.70%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$33.36 ₱2,057

-58.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$26.11 ₱1,611

-32.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$33.80 ₱2,085

22.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$4.41 ₱272

49.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$5.66 ₱349

2.12%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$81.1 ₱5,001

277.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$2,757 ₱170.0K

437.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$31.57 ₱1,947

72.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$27.45 ₱1,693

-4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$75.8 ₱4,677

11.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$45.64 ₱2,815

52.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$261 ₱16.1K

62.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$173 ₱10.7K

37.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$580 ₱35.8K

42.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$395 ₱24.4K

30.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,227 ₱137.4K

-7.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$299 ₱18.4K

112.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bacoor: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $261 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 113% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $13.00 in Bacoor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $190 – 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 7%, 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 $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,191 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $13.00 in Bacoor. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $794 in Bacoor, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.