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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $709 in Bulacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,047 in Bulacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,385 in Bulacan, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Bulacan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bulacan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bulacan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$2.63 ₱162

-25.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$14.29 ₱879

28.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$2.86 ₱176

161.54%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.18 ₱134

-7.34%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.68 ₱42.03

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.33 ₱20.57

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.04 ₱63.9

105.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.03 ₱125

76.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$2.04 ₱125

-19.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.24 ₱76.4

26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.98 ₱60.4

21.43%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.99 ₱122

-2.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$3.13 ₱193

417.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.49 ₱215

-14.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$6.44 ₱397

69.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.17 ₱134

24.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$1.44 ₱88.9

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.11 ₱130

-19.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.47 ₱90.5

8.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.81 ₱112

-23.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$1.51 ₱92.8

-20.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.83 ₱51.1

-19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.80 ₱49.24

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.86 ₱176

62.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$3.68 ₱227

378.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.04 ₱64.3

78.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.71 ₱105

92.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.29 ₱17.92

203.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$7.30 ₱449

164.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.81 ₱50.1

67.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.22 ₱13.51

509.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.64 ₱162

210.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.10 ₱67.5

10.91%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$27.3K ₱1.7M

-21.80%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$14.8K ₱912.1K

52.07%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$113 ₱6,971

-37.59%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$32.87 ₱2,023

-57.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$28.12 ₱1,731

-37.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$41.87 ₱2,578

0.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$4.34 ₱267

58.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$6.05 ₱372

-2.15%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$105 ₱6,493

192.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$4,301 ₱264.8K

245.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$30.11 ₱1,854

85.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$23.21 ₱1,429

12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$75.5 ₱4,648

9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$99.1 ₱6,103

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$259 ₱15.9K

66.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$135 ₱8,317

76.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$391 ₱24.1K

110.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$201 ₱12.4K

154.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,954 ₱120.3K

-2.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$1,461 ₱90.0K

0.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$293 ₱18.0K

97.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

-18.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $259 in Bulacan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 98% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $14.00 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $164 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Bulacan, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,063 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $709 in Bulacan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 165% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $709 in Bulacan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bulacan costs $709 versus $861 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bulacan. 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.