Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bohol

For one person, living is cheaper in Bohol: $461 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Bohol
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Bohol Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Bohol

🇵🇭 Philippines

$461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bohol

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $461 in Bohol, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Bohol $461

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $793 in Bohol, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Bohol $793

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,125 in Bohol, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Bohol $1,125

Chiang Mai costs about 104% more than Bohol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Bohol are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Bohol 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.85 ₱494

-71.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$32.23 ₱2,029

-40.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.14 ₱198

78.03%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.96 ₱123

-12.24%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.56 ₱97.9

31.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.92 ₱57.6

52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.99 ₱62.1

29.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.13 ₱134

5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.55 ₱475

124.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.81 ₱303

-43.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.48 ₱597

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.40 ₱88.3

71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.98 ₱61.7

3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.90 ₱119

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.78 ₱112

-28.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$4.75 ₱299

-76.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$2.36 ₱148

-69.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.38 ₱86.8

5.07%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$22.30 ₱1,404

-10.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$14.51 ₱914

161.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$5.66 ₱356

-33.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.08 ₱257

64.46%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$193 ₱12.1K

140.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$161 ₱10.1K

89.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$314 ₱19.8K

191.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$290 ₱18.2K

90.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$526 ₱33.1K

173.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bohol: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Bohol

$161 35% 47.1% $144

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Bohol

$159 * 34.5% 33.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Bohol

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Bohol

$22 * 4.8% 76.4% $72

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Bohol

$96 * 20.8% 21.1% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Bohol

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Bohol

$23 4.9% 55.8% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $193 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 $32.00 in Bohol. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $159 in Bohol – so Bohol wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Bohol

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,454

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bohol 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bohol

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 Bohol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $691 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.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $32.00 in Bohol. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bohol, where all-in costs run around $461, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Bohol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.