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: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $748 in Bogo City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $1,148 in Bogo City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $1,548 in Bogo City.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 27% more expensive than in Bogo City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bogo City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$3.07 ₱193

-31.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$23.24 ₱1,457

-14.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$4.11 ₱258

40.88%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$2.51 ₱158

-27.09%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.62 ₱39.13

25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.50 ₱31.49

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$1.80 ₱113

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$2.21 ₱139

67.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$1.32 ₱82.7

53.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$1.11 ₱69.8

44.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$0.95 ₱59.5

49.47%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$1.98 ₱124

10.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$9.83 ₱616

61.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$3.23 ₱202

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

$5.49 ₱344

79.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$3.48 ₱218

-24.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$1.47 ₱92.3

-25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$2.33 ₱146

-30.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$1.49 ₱93.2

2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$2.36 ₱148

-47.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$1.96 ₱123

-42.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$1.26 ₱78.7

-41.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.63 ₱39.42

-20.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$2.88 ₱180

48.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$6.27 ₱393

186.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.30 ₱81.8

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$1.76 ₱110

64.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.27 ₱17.04

248.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$11.38 ₱713

385.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$0.80 ₱49.96

53.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.23 ₱14.42

130.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$1.90 ₱119

26.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.28 ₱80.1

12.50%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-0.48%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

42.27%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$119 ₱7,481

-45.59%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$14.92 ₱935

-10.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$27.50 ₱1,724

-24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$31.50 ₱1,974

28.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$4.90 ₱307

-19.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$5.49 ₱344

22.22%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$135 ₱8,439

484.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$7,928 ₱497.0K

90.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$32.69 ₱2,050

72.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$19.92 ₱1,249

25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$76.3 ₱4,781

21.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$55.8 ₱3,501

34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$271 ₱17.0K

78.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$171 ₱10.7K

67.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$505 ₱31.7K

80.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$354 ₱22.2K

50.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$2,627 ₱164.7K

-24.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

37.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bogo City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $271 in Bogo City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $23.00 in Bogo City. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $187, with Bogo 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 Bogo City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bogo City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,426 in Chiang Mai and $1,122 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $271 in Bogo City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $950 per month in Chiang Mai versus $748 in Bogo City – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bogo City runs roughly 386% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $748 in Bogo City versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bogo City but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bogo City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 27% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.