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 $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $778 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,207 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,635 in Calapan City, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Calapan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Calapan City 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.49 ₱214

-41.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$17.55 ₱1,074

6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$3.27 ₱200

140.37%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$2.47 ₱151

-17.81%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.82 ₱50.5

-2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.36 ₱22.15

-2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.35 ₱82.6

58.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.08 ₱127

76.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.90 ₱117

-8.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.27 ₱77.5

23.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.08 ₱66.2

11.11%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$1.99 ₱122

-1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$8.16 ₱499

98.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$4.31 ₱264

-29.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$7.53 ₱461

43.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$2.87 ₱176

-3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.52 ₱93.3

-23.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$2.71 ₱166

-36.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.62 ₱99.3

-1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$2.33 ₱142

-40.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$2.56 ₱156

-54.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$1.07 ₱65.3

-38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.77 ₱46.98

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.85 ₱175

63.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$8.18 ₱500

117.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.15 ₱70.3

55.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.95 ₱120

71.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.28 ₱17.17

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$13.90 ₱851

34.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.82 ₱50.5

71.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.22 ₱13.41

509.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$2.11 ₱129

284.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.18 ₱72.1

4.24%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

-18.99%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

5.10%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$111 ₱6,801

-35.80%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$33.12 ₱2,028

-57.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$27.96 ₱1,712

-35.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$34.59 ₱2,117

18.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$4.52 ₱277

52.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$6.07 ₱372

-5.77%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$152 ₱9,291

103.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$4,361 ₱267.0K

236.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$45.42 ₱2,780

22.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$26.53 ₱1,624

-1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$75.5 ₱4,623

12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$53.1 ₱3,247

33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$263 ₱16.1K

61.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$175 ₱10.7K

38.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$576 ₱35.3K

38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$401 ₱24.5K

26.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$2,426 ₱148.5K

-20.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$976 ₱59.7K

50.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$118 ₱7,220

404.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

-25.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $263 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 404% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $18.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $207 – 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 10%, 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 $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,167 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $18.00 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 $852 in Chiang Mai and $778 in Calapan City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $778 in Calapan City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.