Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pasig

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasig: $716 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Pasig
Learn more

Pasig Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Pasig

🇵🇭 Philippines

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $716 in Pasig, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pasig $716

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,199 in Pasig, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pasig $1,199

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,682 in Pasig, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pasig $1,682

Chiang Mai costs about 31% more than Pasig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.88 ₱247

-42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$26.26 ₱1,673

-27.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.74 ₱174

102.55%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.20 ₱140

-24.09%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.65 ₱41.15

-1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.33 ₱21.03

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.14 ₱72.8

107.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.34 ₱149

56.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.69 ₱108

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.10 ₱70.2

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.00 ₱63.4

33.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.99 ₱127

14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.63 ₱359

192.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.41 ₱217

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.69 ₱490

21.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.08 ₱196

-23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.52 ₱96.6

-36.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.83 ₱180

-43.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.73 ₱110

-13.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.25 ₱143

-43.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.65 ₱169

-58.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.14 ₱136

-66.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.59 ₱37.30

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.91 ₱185

42.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$9.57 ₱610

83.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.30 ₱82.5

23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.04 ₱130

36.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.48 ₱30.63

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.77 ₱48.94

50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.23 ₱14.70

130.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.93 ₱123

25.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.22 ₱78.0

18.85%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-1.47%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

44.37%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$119 ₱7,611

-47.97%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$16.99 ₱1,082

-28.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$24.01 ₱1,529

-16.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$29.49 ₱1,878

26.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.14 ₱391

5.70%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$131 ₱8,346

461.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$8,921 ₱568.2K

65.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$33.15 ₱2,111

61.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$27.27 ₱1,737

-9.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$69.6 ₱4,432

31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$54.9 ₱3,494

31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$323 ₱20.6K

49.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$148 ₱9,437

108.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$504 ₱32.1K

99.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$476 ₱30.3K

33.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,203 ₱204.0K

-26.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,511 ₱159.9K

-36.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$512 ₱32.6K

15.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pasig: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pasig

$148 20.7% 52% $161

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pasig

$199 27.8% 15.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pasig

$83 11.6% 23.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pasig

$160 22.4% 69.9% $66

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pasig

$80 11.2% 3.1% $2.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pasig

$3.9 * 0.5% 93.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pasig

$42 5.8% 16.9% $8.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $323 in Pasig. 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 15% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $26 in Pasig. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $199 in Pasig – so Pasig wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Pasig

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

11:59 11:59 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

803,159

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pasig 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pasig

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 Pasig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 31% more than Pasig, 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 $1,074 in Pasig. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasig, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $323 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $26 in Pasig. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Pasig. 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.