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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $740 in Bogo City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $1,150 in Bogo City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $1,561 in Bogo City.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 16% more expensive than in Bogo City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bogo City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$4.49 ₱276

-56.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$15.33 ₱944

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$2.71 ₱167

176.01%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.74 ₱107

16.09%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.43 ₱26.35

97.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.33 ₱20.48

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.59 ₱97.9

34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$1.45 ₱89.0

147.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.71 ₱105

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.18 ₱72.5

33.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.96 ₱59.1

23.96%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$2.27 ₱140

-14.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$10.45 ₱643

54.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.52 ₱216

-15.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$4.67 ₱288

134.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.65 ₱163

2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$1.45 ₱89.5

-19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$3.43 ₱211

-50.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.18 ₱134

-26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.64 ₱101

-15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$1.81 ₱111

-33.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.92 ₱56.7

-27.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.51 ₱31.64

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.27 ₱202

41.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.36 ₱392

177.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.20 ₱73.7

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.73 ₱106

90.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.26 ₱15.90

238.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.87 ₱53.7

56.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.25 ₱15.51

436.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.63 ₱162

212.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.13 ₱69.8

7.96%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$30.2K ₱1.9M

-29.18%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$27.0K ₱1.7M

-16.61%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$98.0 ₱6,032

-27.87%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$33.93 ₱2,089

-58.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$29.96 ₱1,845

-41.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$34.25 ₱2,109

23.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$4.52 ₱278

52.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$5.41 ₱333

9.43%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$228 ₱14.1K

35.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$3,828 ₱235.6K

288.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$46.04 ₱2,834

21.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$23.46 ₱1,444

11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$76.5 ₱4,709

8.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$55.7 ₱3,426

26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$263 ₱16.2K

64.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$178 ₱10.9K

34.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$585 ₱36.0K

40.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$397 ₱24.4K

29.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$2,207 ₱135.9K

-13.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$880 ₱54.2K

66.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$159 ₱9,789

264.38%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bogo City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $263 in Bogo City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 264% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $15.00 in Bogo City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $192 per month, with Bogo City 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 Bogo City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bogo City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 264% 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $263 in Bogo City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $861 per month in Chiang Mai versus $740 in Bogo City – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bogo City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Bogo City 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 Bogo 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 Bogo City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.