Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Calapan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Calapan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $732 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,101 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,469 in Calapan City, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Calapan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Calapan City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.2

$3.66 ₱229

-43.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿652

$16.41 ₱1,028

19.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.75 ₱172

106.18%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.0

$2.17 ₱136

-16.59%

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

$0.77 ฿25.55

$0.58 ₱36.15

32.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.48

$0.33 ₱20.74

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$1.09 ₱68.4

102.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$1.83 ₱115

107.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.1

$1.68 ₱105

22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.15 ₱71.9

31.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.51

$0.97 ₱60.7

44.33%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.1

$1.95 ₱123

15.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿538

$5.63 ₱353

187.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.3

$4.21 ₱264

-31.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿313

$7.19 ₱451

31.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.1

$2.28 ₱143

17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.23

$1.61 ₱101

-32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$2.43 ₱152

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.55

$1.17 ₱73.5

24.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.48

$2.13 ₱133

-39.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.17

$1.99 ₱124

-46.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.85

$0.83 ₱52.0

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.49

$0.53 ₱33.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.75 ₱172

53.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿608

$7.70 ₱483

137.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.2

$0.91 ₱57.2

79.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.5

$1.98 ₱124

46.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.20

$0.25 ₱15.62

252.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

$10.93 ₱685

391.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿38.99

$0.81 ₱51.0

44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.22

$0.24 ₱14.84

141.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.3

$1.72 ₱108

38.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.22

$1.05 ₱65.5

38.10%

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

$21.0K ฿698.6K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

-3.31%

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

$26.4K ฿878.6K

$16.6K ₱1.0M

59.59%

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

$63.7 ฿2,116

$121 ₱7,571

-47.32%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$13.91 ₱872

-7.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿682

$24.23 ₱1,518

-15.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,297

$31.31 ₱1,962

24.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$5.21 ₱326

-24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$5.06 ₱317

30.04%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$147 ₱9,187

434.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿487.9K

$8,840 ₱554.0K

65.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,833

$28.85 ₱1,808

91.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿823

$17.95 ₱1,125

37.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,130

$79.6 ₱4,987

18.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,459

$49.22 ₱3,084

50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$305 ₱19.1K

60.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,582

$189 ₱11.9K

52.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

$428 ₱26.8K

108.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$362 ₱22.7K

43.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

$2,611 ₱163.6K

-24.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

$1,046 ₱65.5K

38.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$118 ₱7,367

411.72%

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 Calapan City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $305 in Calapan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 412% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $180 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,098 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calapan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $16.00 in Calapan City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $932 in Chiang Mai and $732 in Calapan City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $732, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calapan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Calapan City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.