Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bayawan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bayawan City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $810 in Bayawan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,271 in Bayawan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $1,733 in Bayawan City.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 7% more expensive than Bayawan City, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Bayawan City 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$4.42 ₱272

-56.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$23.64 ₱1,457

-21.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$4.34 ₱268

80.18%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$2.54 ₱157

-23.23%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.78 ₱48.19

8.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.42 ₱25.99

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.53 ₱94.4

39.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.17 ₱134

71.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.93 ₱119

-11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.57 ₱96.9

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.76 ₱46.92

50.00%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$2.35 ₱145

-17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$12.65 ₱780

28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$5.23 ₱322

-40.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$7.57 ₱467

43.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$3.53 ₱218

-22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.50 ₱92.7

-19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$3.45 ₱213

-53.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.19 ₱135

-27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$2.63 ₱162

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$2.53 ₱156

-53.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$1.00 ₱61.5

-34.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.83 ₱51.5

-36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.25 ₱200

44.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$4.82 ₱297

287.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.90 ₱55.5

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.35 ₱145

37.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.28 ₱17.36

221.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.83 ₱51.4

69.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.25 ₱15.53

416.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.60 ₱161

201.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.15 ₱70.7

10.43%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$30.7K ₱1.9M

-30.64%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$27.7K ₱1.7M

-19.87%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$98.4 ₱6,069

-29.83%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$34.84 ₱2,149

-59.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$29.40 ₱1,813

-38.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$34.22 ₱2,110

19.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$4.52 ₱279

53.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$1.74 ₱107

240.23%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$234 ₱14.4K

27.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$3,966 ₱244.5K

277.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$46.35 ₱2,858

18.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$23.07 ₱1,423

16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$75.5 ₱4,654

12.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$55.9 ₱3,447

26.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$271 ₱16.7K

57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$176 ₱10.9K

34.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$586 ₱36.2K

36.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$390 ₱24.1K

32.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$2,480 ₱152.9K

-20.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$988 ₱60.9K

49.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$112 ₱6,930

449.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-37.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $271 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 449% 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 $24.00 in Bayawan City. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $232, with Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bayawan City differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $810 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chiang Mai pays 449% 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $271 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $234 in Bayawan City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayawan City – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bayawan City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.