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: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $567 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $889 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,211 in Butuan.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 65% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Butuan 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$4.89 ₱307

-57.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$26.71 ₱1,675

-26.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.37 ₱148

139.24%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.10 ₱132

-13.81%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.31 ₱19.44

148.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.25 ₱15.77

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.55 ₱97.5

42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.35 ₱147

61.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.95 ₱122

5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.09 ₱68.2

38.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.88 ₱55.1

59.09%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.93 ₱121

17.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$6.71 ₱421

141.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$4.24 ₱266

-31.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$8.68 ₱545

8.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$2.69 ₱169

-0.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.10 ₱69.1

-0.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$2.18 ₱137

-25.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$1.18 ₱74.3

23.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$2.11 ₱132

-39.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$3.42 ₱215

-69.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$1.19 ₱74.6

-39.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.72 ₱44.97

-26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.48 ₱156

70.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$8.10 ₱508

125.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.22 ₱76.8

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.51 ₱94.9

92.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.77 ₱48.38

51.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.25 ₱15.70

132.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.87 ₱117

27.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.07 ₱67.3

35.51%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-0.22%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

39.59%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$108 ₱6,788

-41.18%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$19.19 ₱1,203

-32.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$31.04 ₱1,947

-33.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$23.96 ₱1,503

62.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$4.32 ₱271

52.31%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$107 ₱6,715

632.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$7,445 ₱467.0K

97.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$62.2 ₱3,900

-11.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$26.53 ₱1,664

-6.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$72.5 ₱4,549

29.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$61.1 ₱3,831

21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Butuan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $27.00 in Butuan. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $196, with Butuan cheaper for home cooking.

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 65% 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 $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $850 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 $784 in Chiang Mai versus $107 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 $27.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $567 in Butuan versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $567 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 65% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.