Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Legazpi

For one person, living is cheaper in Legazpi: $709 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Legazpi
Learn more

Legazpi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Legazpi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $709 in Legazpi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Legazpi $709

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,094 in Legazpi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Legazpi $1,094

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,480 in Legazpi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Legazpi $1,480

Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Legazpi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Legazpi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Legazpi 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.86 ₱247

-41.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$16.72 ₱1,068

13.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$2.83 ₱181

96.11%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.19 ₱140

-23.74%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.64 ₱40.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.34 ₱21.43

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.19 ₱75.8

98.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.13 ₱136

71.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.58 ₱101

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.09 ₱69.6

32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.95 ₱60.7

40.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.60 ₱166

-12.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$5.53 ₱353

197.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.08 ₱261

-31.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.82 ₱436

36.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.29 ₱146

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.56 ₱99.6

-37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.41 ₱154

-33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.17 ₱74.6

28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.04 ₱130

-37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.27 ₱145

-51.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.08 ₱69.3

-34.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.53 ₱34.02

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.96 ₱189

39.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.39 ₱472

137.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.04 ₱66.2

54.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.94 ₱124

43.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.18 ₱11.32

383.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$11.82 ₱755

357.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.75 ₱47.69

54.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.23 ₱14.71

130.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.83 ₱117

32.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.16 ₱74.0

25.00%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$23.9K ₱1.5M

-11.95%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$18.1K ₱1.2M

49.08%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$119 ₱7,577

-47.58%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$15.23 ₱973

-20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$30.18 ₱1,928

-33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$31.32 ₱2,001

19.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$5.23 ₱334

-27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.23 ₱334

24.09%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$129 ₱8,226

471.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,669 ₱490.0K

92.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$32.40 ₱2,070

64.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$18.79 ₱1,201

31.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$95.5 ₱6,103

-4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$54.5 ₱3,481

32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$193 ₱12.3K

150.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$138 ₱8,838

123.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$515 ₱32.9K

95.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$316 ₱20.2K

100.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,906 ₱185.7K

-18.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,050 ₱67.1K

51.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$264 ₱16.8K

123.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.12

-44.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Legazpi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Legazpi

$138 19.5% 55.2% $171

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Legazpi

$180 25.4% 23.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Legazpi

$91 12.8% 16.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Legazpi

$164 23.2% 73.6% $70

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Legazpi

$80 11.3% 2.7% $2.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Legazpi

$14 2% 76.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Legazpi

$42 5.9% 16.9% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $193 in Legazpi. 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 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $17 in Legazpi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $180 – making Legazpi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Legazpi

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

209,533

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Legazpi 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Legazpi

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 Legazpi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Legazpi, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,063 in Legazpi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Legazpi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $193 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $129 in Legazpi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $709 in Legazpi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Legazpi – 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 Legazpi. 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.