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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $765 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $1,164 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $1,562 in Boracay.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 24% more expensive than in Boracay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Boracay 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$5.47 ₱342

-61.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$19.41 ₱1,214

1.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$5.85 ₱366

-3.42%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$2.25 ₱141

-19.56%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.67 ₱41.77

5.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.23 ₱14.26

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$1.08 ₱67.6

107.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.93 ₱121

88.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.63 ₱102

20.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.08 ₱67.3

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$0.97 ₱60.5

38.14%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.88 ₱117

20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$5.24 ₱328

210.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$4.01 ₱251

-26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$7.61 ₱476

30.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$2.55 ₱159

0.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$1.55 ₱96.8

-31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$2.04 ₱127

-21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$0.99 ₱62.1

53.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$2.00 ₱125

-36.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$1.81 ₱113

-40.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.91 ₱56.8

-20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.61 ₱38.36

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$2.37 ₱148

76.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$8.11 ₱507

120.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.00 ₱62.4

69.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$1.96 ₱122

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.25 ₱15.50

272.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$10.29 ₱643

423.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$0.76 ₱47.49

61.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.23 ₱14.21

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$1.70 ₱106

42.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.16 ₱72.5

21.55%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

5.12%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$19.9K ₱1.2M

37.45%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$111 ₱6,935

-42.59%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$15.94 ₱997

-19.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$34.58 ₱2,163

-41.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$34.63 ₱2,166

11.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$4.53 ₱283

-12.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$5.23 ₱327

28.87%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$153 ₱9,551

409.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$8,190 ₱512.2K

78.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$29.35 ₱1,836

84.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$18.32 ₱1,146

38.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$61.6 ₱3,851

53.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$63.1 ₱3,945

16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$270 ₱16.9K

81.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$175 ₱10.9K

65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$504 ₱31.5K

77.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$358 ₱22.4K

44.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$2,625 ₱164.2K

-25.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$1,058 ₱66.2K

39.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$235 ₱14.7K

156.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Boracay: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $270 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 156% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $19.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $178 per month, with Boracay 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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Boracay differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $765 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $270 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Boracay versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Boracay 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.