Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Butuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
Learn more

Butuan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $569 in Butuan.

Chiang Mai $936
Butuan $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $899 in Butuan.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Butuan $899

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,229 in Butuan.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Butuan $1,229

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 64% more expensive than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Butuan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.66 ₱297

-51.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$26.45 ₱1,685

-28.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.32 ₱148

139.22%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.04 ₱130

-18.14%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.30 ₱19.08

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.24 ₱15.29

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.58 ₱100

49.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.37 ₱151

54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.92 ₱122

1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.11 ₱70.7

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.90 ₱57.0

47.78%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.83 ₱117

24.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.42 ₱409

156.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.75 ₱302

-41.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.41 ₱599

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.65 ₱169

-11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.09 ₱69.5

-11.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.40 ₱153

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.17 ₱74.4

28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.97 ₱125

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$3.40 ₱217

-67.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.18 ₱75.1

-39.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.70 ₱44.55

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.42 ₱154

71.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.68 ₱489

128.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.27 ₱81.1

26.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.60 ₱102

73.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.81 ₱51.5

43.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.24 ₱15.33

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.93 ₱123

25.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.06 ₱67.8

36.79%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

1.33%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

40.86%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$106 ₱6,734

-41.19%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$18.42 ₱1,173

-33.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$30.63 ₱1,951

-34.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$23.59 ₱1,502

58.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.18 ₱266

55.26%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$106 ₱6,747

594.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,473 ₱476.0K

97.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$59.6 ₱3,793

-10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$30.15 ₱1,920

-18.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$69.0 ₱4,397

32.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$60.7 ₱3,866

18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.31

-32.97%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Butuan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Butuan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Butuan

$198 34.9% 15.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Butuan

$99 17.3% 9.1% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Butuan

$155 27.2% 63.9% $60

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Butuan

$84 14.7% 7.7% $6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Butuan

$2 * 0.4% 96.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Butuan

$32 5.6% 36.5% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $26 in Butuan. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $198, with Butuan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Butuan

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

12:11 12:11 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

337,063

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Butuan 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $854 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $106 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $26 in Butuan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $569 in Butuan versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan 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 Butuan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.