Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bogo City

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogo City: $762 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bogo City, Philippines
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Bogo City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$762
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bogo City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $762 in Bogo City.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Bogo City $762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,191 in Bogo City.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Bogo City $1,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,620 in Bogo City.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Bogo City $1,620

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 23% more expensive than in Bogo City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bogo City 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.5
$3.93 ₱251
-43.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿640
$23.64 ₱1,509
-19.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$3.96 ₱253
40.15%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.4
$2.54 ₱162
-34.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.51
$0.67 ₱42.59
-4.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.29
$0.46 ₱29.66
-32.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.4
$1.75 ₱112
34.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿123
$2.15 ₱137
70.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.6
$1.37 ₱87.3
42.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.39
$1.09 ₱69.7
32.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿44.96
$0.97 ₱62.2
37.11%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿76.9
$2.00 ₱127
14.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿554
$9.80 ₱626
67.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.7
$3.20 ₱204
-13.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$5.41 ₱345
72.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.3
$3.19 ₱204
-26.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.75
$1.36 ₱86.9
-28.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.8
$2.29 ₱146
-30.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.51 ₱96.4
-0.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.05
$2.37 ₱151
-45.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.13
$1.88 ₱120
-41.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.78
$1.05 ₱67.0
-32.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.34
$0.65 ₱41.45
-24.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$2.93 ₱187
41.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿590
$6.20 ₱396
182.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.4
$1.27 ₱81.1
26.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$1.69 ₱108
64.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.26
$0.22 ₱14.13
295.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,822
$12.87 ₱822
320.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿38.99
$0.74 ₱47.52
56.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.77
$0.20 ₱12.77
165.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.6
$1.85 ₱118
30.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.81
$1.31 ₱83.5
10.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿709.5K
$20.6K ₱1.3M
2.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.7K
$18.9K ₱1.2M
42.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,095
$118 ₱7,508
-47.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$15.18 ₱969
-19.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿678
$28.08 ₱1,793
-28.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,257
$35.47 ₱2,265
5.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$5.21 ₱333
-27.64%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$5.63 ₱359
15.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$129 ₱8,258
469.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿497.4K
$7,729 ₱493.4K
91.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,798
$31.98 ₱2,042
66.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿830
$19.52 ₱1,246
26.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,082
$74.2 ₱4,735
23.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,424
$57.4 ₱3,666
25.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.2K
$249 ₱15.9K
93.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$181 ₱11.5K
70.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$526 ₱33.6K
91.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.3K
$404 ₱25.8K
56.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.6K
$2,911 ₱185.9K
-18.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.5K
$1,187 ₱75.8K
33.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Bogo City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
7.2
-22.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bogo City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Bogo City
$181 41.5% $128
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Bogo City
$184 21.5% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Bogo City
$82 24.2% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Bogo City
$161 70.3% $66
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Bogo City
$91 17.8% $14
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Bogo City
$16 74.7% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Bogo City
$47 7.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $249 in Bogo City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $24 in Bogo City. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $184, with Bogo City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇵🇭 Bogo City
🕒 Local time
16:56 4:56 PM
17:56 5:56 PM
1 h ahead of Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
23,562
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.85 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.41 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Bogo City 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Bogo City

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 Bogo City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bogo City cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Bogo City is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,142 in Bogo City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Chiang Mai and Bogo City?
Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $249 in Bogo City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Chiang Mai and in Bogo City?
All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $762 in Bogo City – Bogo City is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Bogo City runs roughly 76% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Chiang Mai or in Bogo City?
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.

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