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 $848 per month in Chiang Mai vs $689 in Bohol, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,331 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,111 in Bohol, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,532 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

$1.96 ฿64.1

$3.59 ₱217

-45.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿603

$35.34 ₱2,140

-47.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿258

$4.33 ₱262

81.76%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$3.34 ₱202

-41.62%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.79 ₱47.58

7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.61

$0.40 ₱24.09

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.35 ₱81.9

58.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿121

$2.08 ₱126

76.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.92 ₱116

-13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿51.1

$1.20 ₱73.0

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.95

$0.93 ₱56.5

27.96%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.01 ₱122

-1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿532

$7.92 ₱480

105.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿104

$4.13 ₱250

-23.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿355

$8.81 ₱533

23.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿87.0

$2.89 ₱175

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.00

$1.54 ₱93.5

-20.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.1

$2.70 ₱164

-38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.7

$1.54 ₱93.0

0.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.53

$2.07 ₱125

-35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.75

$2.60 ₱158

-53.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.22

$1.11 ₱67.0

-38.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.54

$0.71 ₱43.09

-19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿154

$2.32 ₱140

101.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿557

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.19 ₱72.3

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿104

$2.02 ₱122

57.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.70

$0.28 ₱17.03

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿614

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.18

$0.77 ₱46.40

83.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.88

$0.22 ₱13.27

509.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿267

$2.18 ₱132

273.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.88

$1.24 ₱75.4

3.23%

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

$21.8K ฿715.2K

$27.1K ₱1.6M

-19.44%

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

$22.4K ฿734.1K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

11.03%

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

$70.5 ฿2,310

$111 ₱6,714

-36.45%

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

$14.05 ฿460

$32.82 ₱1,987

-57.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿578

$27.44 ₱1,661

-35.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,353

$18.38 ₱1,113

124.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿222

$4.34 ₱263

55.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿195

$5.63 ₱341

5.86%

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

$303 ฿9,928

$149 ₱9,010

103.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.2K

$4,382 ₱265.3K

241.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,793

$45.65 ₱2,764

19.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿861

$26.31 ₱1,593

-0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,811

$76.5 ₱4,630

12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,284

$52.1 ₱3,157

33.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$142 ₱8,579

202.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,834

$105 ₱6,383

126.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.6K

$536 ₱32.5K

51.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.7K

$226 ₱13.7K

125.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿66.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿49.2K

$551 ₱33.4K

172.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Bohol: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $142 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $35.00 in Bohol. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Chiang Mai vs $191 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 $1,272 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,034 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 $848 in Chiang Mai and $689 in Bohol. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Chiang Mai and $149 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 $848 in Chiang Mai and $689 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.