Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cagayan de Oro City Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cagayan de Oro City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $765 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,150 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,534 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 22% more expensive than in Cagayan de Oro City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Cagayan de Oro City 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$3.48 ₱219

-40.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$12.57 ₱789

56.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.95 ₱185

92.20%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.40 ₱150

-24.58%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.71 ₱44.38

8.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.89 ₱55.7

-60.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.41 ₱88.6

56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$1.93 ₱121

96.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.53 ₱95.9

33.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.89 ₱55.9

69.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.96 ₱60.4

45.83%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.18 ₱137

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$8.52 ₱534

90.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$3.23 ₱203

-10.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$5.73 ₱359

64.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$2.15 ₱135

24.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.09 ₱68.3

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$2.91 ₱183

-44.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$1.15 ₱71.9

26.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$2.14 ₱134

-40.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$2.53 ₱159

-58.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.77 ₱48.07

-6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.46 ₱28.63

15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.85 ₱179

48.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$3.92 ₱246

366.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.64 ₱103

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.92 ₱120

51.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.39 ₱24.22

125.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$9.95 ₱624

440.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.66 ₱41.69

77.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.22 ₱13.83

163.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$2.36 ₱148

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.01 ₱63.6

43.56%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-0.75%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$20.2K ₱1.3M

31.04%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$133 ₱8,314

-51.99%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$22.83 ₱1,432

-43.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$30.15 ₱1,891

-31.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$20.25 ₱1,270

92.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$2.71 ₱170

44.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$4.39 ₱275

49.89%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$65.5 ₱4,108

1096.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$2,262 ₱141.9K

548.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$31.65 ₱1,985

74.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$13.10 ₱822

88.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$52.2 ₱3,272

80.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$39.98 ₱2,508

84.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$382 ₱24.0K

28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$228 ₱14.3K

26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$703 ₱44.1K

26.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$441 ₱27.6K

18.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,627 ₱102.1K

21.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$939 ₱58.9K

53.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$305 ₱19.1K

97.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cagayan de Oro City: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $382 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 97% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $13.00 in Cagayan de Oro City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $170 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Cagayan de Oro City differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $765 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $382 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.