Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pangasinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangasinan: $778 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Pangasinan
Learn more

Pangasinan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Pangasinan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $778 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pangasinan $778

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,151 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pangasinan $1,151

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,523 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pangasinan $1,523

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Pangasinan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Pangasinan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Pangasinan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$1.19 ₱75.9

88.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$13.19 ₱842

44.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.96 ₱253

40.15%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.63 ₱168

-36.50%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.11 ₱70.8

-42.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.49 ₱31.54

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.4

$0.82 ₱52.3

187.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.09 ₱197

18.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.6

$1.12 ₱71.3

74.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.39

$0.75 ₱48.15

92.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.96

$0.73 ₱46.33

82.19%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿76.9

$2.44 ₱155

-6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$7.12 ₱454

131.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.7

$4.70 ₱300

-40.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.96 ₱445

33.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.31 ₱148

1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.97 ₱126

-50.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$3.19 ₱203

-49.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.28 ₱145

-34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.05

$3.44 ₱220

-62.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.13

$3.36 ₱214

-67.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.78

$1.09 ₱69.7

-34.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.57 ₱36.08

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.55 ₱163

62.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$8.00 ₱510

119.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.36 ₱87.0

18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.03 ₱130

36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.26

$0.20 ₱12.94

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,822

$13.34 ₱851

305.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿38.99

$0.64 ₱41.05

81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.77

$0.23 ₱14.73

130.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$1.92 ₱122

26.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.81

$0.94 ₱59.8

54.26%

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

$21.1K ฿709.5K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

1.55%

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

$26.9K ฿907.7K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

39.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$154 ₱9,861

-59.75%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$15.59 ₱995

-21.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$32.21 ₱2,056

-37.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$28.13 ₱1,796

32.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$5.63 ₱360

-33.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.85 ₱438

-5.26%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$128 ₱8,174

474.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.4K

$7,285 ₱465.1K

102.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,798

$32.75 ₱2,091

62.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$19.52 ₱1,247

26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,082

$79.3 ₱5,063

15.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$55.5 ₱3,545

29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.2K

$245 ₱15.6K

96.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$165 ₱10.5K

87.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$447 ₱28.5K

125.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$328 ₱21.0K

92.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,968 ₱189.5K

-20.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.5K

$1,164 ₱74.3K

36.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pangasinan

$165 21.2% 46.7% $144

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pangasinan

$200 25.7% 14.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pangasinan

$84 10.8% 22.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pangasinan

$202 26% 114% $108

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pangasinan

$70 9% 10.2% $7.9

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pangasinan

$16 2.1% 74% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pangasinan

$42 5.4% 16.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $245 in Pangasinan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $13 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $200 – making Pangasinan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Pangasinan

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,188,540

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.85 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pangasinan 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pangasinan

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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Pangasinan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,167 in Pangasinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pangasinan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $128 in Pangasinan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

For expats, Pangasinan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.