Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Calapan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Calapan City: $719 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Calapan City
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Calapan City Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Calapan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Calapan City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Calapan City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $719 in Calapan City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Calapan City $719

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,101 in Calapan City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Calapan City $1,101

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,482 in Calapan City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Calapan City $1,482

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Calapan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Calapan City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.97 ₱252

-46.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$16.44 ₱1,043

13.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$2.68 ₱170

108.96%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.14 ₱136

-22.43%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$0.63 ₱40.17

3.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.31 ₱19.41

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$1.15 ₱73.0

101.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.05 ₱130

79.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.64 ₱104

23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$1.10 ₱69.8

28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$0.97 ₱61.7

43.30%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.86 ₱118

27.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$5.31 ₱337

211.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$4.17 ₱264

-35.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$7.15 ₱454

26.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.39 ₱152

0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.51 ₱95.5

-31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.40 ₱152

-30.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.12 ₱71.3

39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$2.06 ₱131

-39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$2.19 ₱139

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.08 ₱68.6

-29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.57 ₱36.22

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.97 ₱189

38.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$7.34 ₱466

144.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$0.92 ₱58.6

76.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.93 ₱123

46.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.24 ₱15.24

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

$12.44 ₱790

325.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$0.75 ₱47.56

57.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.22 ₱13.96

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$1.91 ₱121

-5.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.00 ₱63.6

47.00%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

0.16%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

40.08%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$121 ₱7,671

-48.26%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$15.33 ₱973

-24.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$24.15 ₱1,532

-15.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$31.77 ₱2,015

19.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$5.12 ₱325

-27.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$5.07 ₱321

28.40%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$130 ₱8,260

458.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$8,012 ₱508.3K

106.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$32.54 ₱2,065

64.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$18.85 ₱1,196

31.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$69.7 ₱4,425

29.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$55.6 ₱3,529

29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$252 ₱16.0K

90.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$165 ₱10.5K

87.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$487 ₱30.9K

117.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$352 ₱22.3K

87.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$2,633 ₱167.1K

-8.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,093 ₱69.4K

47.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$114 ₱7,241

421.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.92

-19.51%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Calapan City

$165 23% 46.7% $145

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Calapan City

$178 24.8% 24.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Calapan City

$80 11.1% 26.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Calapan City

$160 22.3% 69.8% $66

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Calapan City

$79 11% 3.3% $2.5

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Calapan City

$15 2.1% 74% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Calapan City

$42 5.8% 17.7% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $252 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 in Chiang Mai are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $178 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Calapan City

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

145,786

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Calapan City 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Calapan City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,079 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $252 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $16 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 $935 in Chiang Mai and $719 in Calapan City. That makes Calapan City about 23% cheaper.

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.

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