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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $690 in Bohol, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,114 in Bohol, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,538 in Bohol, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 23% more than Bohol, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bohol are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bohol 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.48 ₱213

-41.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$35.69 ₱2,185

-47.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$4.55 ₱279

72.75%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$3.26 ₱200

-37.73%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.78 ₱47.83

2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.39 ₱23.89

-10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.36 ₱83.3

57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.16 ₱132

69.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.89 ₱116

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.26 ₱77.2

24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.94 ₱57.4

27.66%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.02 ₱124

-2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$7.94 ₱486

104.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$4.28 ₱262

-28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$8.78 ₱537

23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$2.99 ₱183

-7.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.54 ₱94.2

-24.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$2.68 ₱164

-36.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.56 ₱95.2

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$1.98 ₱121

-29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$2.53 ₱155

-54.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$1.07 ₱65.5

-38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.72 ₱44.16

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.42 ₱148

92.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.20 ₱73.4

49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.03 ₱124

64.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.28 ₱17.30

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.82 ₱50.1

71.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.24 ₱14.74

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$2.18 ₱133

272.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.24 ₱75.9

-0.81%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

-19.55%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

4.81%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$110 ₱6,759

-35.40%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$33.04 ₱2,022

-57.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$27.27 ₱1,669

-34.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$18.85 ₱1,154

116.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$4.37 ₱268

57.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$5.65 ₱346

1.24%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$151 ₱9,251

104.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$4,319 ₱264.4K

239.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$44.96 ₱2,752

24.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$26.71 ₱1,635

-2.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$74.2 ₱4,543

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$53.5 ₱3,272

32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$141 ₱8,625

200.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$108 ₱6,638

123.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$525 ₱32.1K

51.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$223 ₱13.6K

127.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$543 ₱33.3K

169.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

-25.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bohol: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $141 in Bohol. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $36.00 in Bohol. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $192 in Bohol – so Bohol wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Bohol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,036 in Bohol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bohol, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $852 in Chiang Mai and $690 in Bohol. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Chiang Mai and $151 in Bohol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $690 in Bohol, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bohol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bohol. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.