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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $716 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $1,101 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $1,486 in Butuan.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 19% more expensive than Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Butuan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$4.31 ₱266

-54.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$15.88 ₱979

18.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$2.46 ₱152

221.95%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.68 ₱104

13.69%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.36 ₱21.99

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.29 ₱17.78

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.17 ₱72.3

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$1.73 ₱106

119.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.73 ₱107

-5.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.08 ₱66.5

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.99 ₱61.2

19.19%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$2.02 ₱124

-0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$5.81 ₱358

173.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.64 ₱224

-17.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$7.13 ₱440

51.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.39 ₱86.0

87.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.55 ₱33.97

121.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.93 ₱57.5

82.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.35 ₱83.1

17.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$2.21 ₱136

-40.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$3.15 ₱194

-62.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$1.33 ₱81.8

-49.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.52 ₱32.23

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$2.52 ₱156

79.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$8.34 ₱514

118.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$0.75 ₱46.46

144.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$0.92 ₱57.0

251.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.28 ₱17.44

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.70 ₱43.33

92.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.23 ₱14.12

486.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$2.08 ₱128

296.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.14 ₱70.2

11.40%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$22.2K ₱1.4M

-4.68%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

9.84%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$106 ₱6,559

-34.03%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$34.42 ₱2,123

-59.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$36.26 ₱2,236

-51.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$34.19 ₱2,109

21.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$4.46 ₱275

47.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$4.38 ₱270

31.96%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$71.5 ₱4,408

328.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,769 ₱109.1K

738.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$44.89 ₱2,769

21.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$10.06 ₱621

159.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$71.9 ₱4,433

17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$69.5 ₱4,285

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$265 ₱16.3K

59.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$179 ₱11.1K

32.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$586 ₱36.1K

40.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$389 ₱24.0K

32.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,041 ₱125.9K

0.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$106 ₱6,513

501.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

-47.70%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Butuan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $265 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 502% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $165 per month, with Butuan 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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 19% 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.

Chiang Mai pays 502% more on average, 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $265 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Chiang Mai versus $71.5 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Butuan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.