Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dasmarinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Dasmarinas: $496 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Dasmarinas
Learn more

Dasmarinas Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Dasmarinas

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 Dasmarinas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $496 in Dasmarinas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Dasmarinas $496

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $738 in Dasmarinas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Dasmarinas $738

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $980 in Dasmarinas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Dasmarinas $980

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Dasmarinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Dasmarinas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Dasmarinas 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$4.08 ₱257

-43.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$16.95 ₱1,067

15.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$2.71 ₱171

107.01%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.75 ₱110

-5.14%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.57 ₱35.76

22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.31 ₱19.30

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$0.96 ₱60.1

151.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.58 ₱99.4

134.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.39 ₱87.5

40.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.10 ₱69.5

28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.66 ₱41.36

98.48%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.79 ₱113

21.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$4.94 ₱311

237.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.49 ₱219

-20.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$4.72 ₱297

93.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.26 ₱143

5.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.61 ₱102

-36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.38 ₱150

-31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.07 ₱67.3

40.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.75 ₱110

-26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.72 ₱108

-35.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.61 ₱38.39

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.52 ₱32.54

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.88 ₱181

49.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.59 ₱541

108.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.93 ₱58.5

69.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.99 ₱125

42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.78 ₱48.96

55.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.25 ₱15.76

128.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.85 ₱117

27.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.11 ₱70.1

29.73%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

-3.08%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

41.75%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$48.45 ₱3,050

28.65%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$17.55 ₱1,105

-31.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$23.72 ₱1,494

-15.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$33.43 ₱2,105

10.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.30 ₱334

22.64%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$134 ₱8,415

493.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$10.7K ₱674.0K

38.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$28.53 ₱1,796

88.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$19.55 ₱1,231

25.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$72.5 ₱4,561

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$56.4 ₱3,552

26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$46.95 ₱2,956

534.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$353 ₱22.2K

67.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.4

-12.97%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Dasmarinas

$47 9.5% 84.2% $251

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Dasmarinas

$160 32.3% 32% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Dasmarinas

$80 16.1% 26.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Dasmarinas

$90 18.1% 4.9% $4.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Dasmarinas

$73 14.8% 6.8% $5.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dasmarinas

$2 * 0.4% 96.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dasmarinas

$44 8.9% 12% $6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 67% 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 $17.00 in Dasmarinas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $160 – making Dasmarinas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Dasmarinas

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

659,019

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 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 October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Dasmarinas 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dasmarinas

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 Dasmarinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Dasmarinas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $744 in Dasmarinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $17.00 in Dasmarinas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dasmarinas, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Dasmarinas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dasmarinas costs $496 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Dasmarinas. 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.