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: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $716 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $1,114 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $1,512 in Butuan.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 18% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Butuan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.1

$4.48 ₱271

-56.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿603

$16.06 ₱972

14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿258

$2.42 ₱147

225.21%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.62 ₱98.4

20.37%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.33 ₱19.92

157.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.61

$0.29 ₱17.28

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.21 ₱73.4

76.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿121

$1.79 ₱108

105.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.72 ₱104

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿51.1

$1.03 ₱62.1

51.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.95

$0.99 ₱60.2

20.20%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.02 ₱122

-1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿532

$5.75 ₱348

182.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿104

$3.64 ₱221

-12.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿355

$7.45 ₱451

45.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿87.0

$1.41 ₱85.3

87.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.00

$0.54 ₱32.79

125.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.1

$0.88 ₱53.0

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.7

$1.42 ₱85.9

9.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.53

$2.20 ₱133

-39.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.75

$3.16 ₱191

-61.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.22

$1.32 ₱79.8

-48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.54

$0.54 ₱32.67

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿154

$2.45 ₱148

91.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿557

$8.45 ₱512

101.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$0.77 ₱46.90

136.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿104

$0.87 ₱52.7

265.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.70

$0.28 ₱17.13

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿614

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.18

$0.76 ₱45.72

85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.88

$0.23 ₱13.83

482.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿267

$2.17 ₱132

275.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.88

$1.14 ₱68.7

12.28%

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

$21.8K ฿715.2K

$22.1K ₱1.3M

-1.04%

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

$22.4K ฿734.1K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

6.94%

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

$70.5 ฿2,310

$106 ₱6,403

-33.36%

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

$14.05 ฿460

$33.45 ₱2,025

-58.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿578

$35.78 ₱2,166

-50.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,353

$34.25 ₱2,073

20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿222

$4.54 ₱275

48.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿195

$4.40 ₱266

35.45%

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

$303 ฿9,928

$70.6 ₱4,273

329.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.2K

$1,781 ₱107.8K

740.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,793

$45.76 ₱2,770

19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿861

$9.72 ₱588

170.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,811

$70.1 ₱4,242

22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,284

$70.0 ₱4,237

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$262 ₱15.9K

63.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,834

$179 ₱10.9K

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.6K

$580 ₱35.1K

39.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.7K

$399 ₱24.2K

27.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿66.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿49.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Butuan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $262 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 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 18% 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 $1,272 in Chiang Mai and $1,074 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $262 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Chiang Mai versus $70.6 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 $18.00 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 18% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.