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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $737 in Binangonan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,097 in Binangonan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,456 in Binangonan.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 26% more expensive than in Binangonan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Binangonan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$3.86 ₱242

-46.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$16.93 ₱1,064

15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.72 ₱171

108.46%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$1.77 ₱111

2.26%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$0.57 ₱35.74

35.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.27 ₱16.91

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.29 ₱81.2

71.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$1.55 ₱97.6

144.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$1.61 ₱101

27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.10 ₱69.0

37.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$0.85 ₱53.5

64.71%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$1.76 ₱110

28.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$5.02 ₱315

222.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.50 ₱220

-17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$7.65 ₱481

23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$2.20 ₱138

21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$1.37 ₱86.0

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$2.40 ₱151

-32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$1.08 ₱67.8

35.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$1.72 ₱108

-25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$1.72 ₱108

-38.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.67 ₱42.21

7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.49 ₱30.83

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.89 ₱182

46.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$7.36 ₱462

148.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$0.95 ₱59.8

71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.84 ₱116

57.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.25 ₱15.53

252.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

$11.24 ₱706

378.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$0.81 ₱50.8

44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$0.21 ₱13.16

176.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$1.96 ₱123

21.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$1.12 ₱70.1

29.46%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

-3.15%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

38.47%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$140 ₱8,789

-54.50%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$14.52 ₱912

-11.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$23.13 ₱1,453

-11.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$29.01 ₱1,823

34.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$4.45 ₱280

-11.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$5.06 ₱318

30.04%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$74.0 ₱4,647

959.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$2,507 ₱157.5K

485.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$28.67 ₱1,801

92.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$19.50 ₱1,225

26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$70.9 ₱4,451

32.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$56.0 ₱3,518

32.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$268 ₱16.8K

83.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$173 ₱10.8K

67.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$461 ₱29.0K

93.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$352 ₱22.1K

48.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$2,851 ₱179.1K

-30.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$1,109 ₱69.7K

30.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$419 ₱26.4K

43.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-20.43%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Binangonan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $268 in Binangonan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 43% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $17.00 in Binangonan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $168 per month, with Binangonan cheaper across the board.

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 Binangonan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binangonan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $268 in Binangonan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $74.0 in Binangonan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $737 in Binangonan versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binangonan but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Binangonan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Binangonan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Binangonan 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 Binangonan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.