Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Quezon City

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Quezon City: $936 and $923 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Quezon 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 Quezon City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $923 in Quezon City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Quezon City $923

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,469 in Quezon City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Quezon City $1,469

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,016 in Quezon City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Quezon City $2,016

Chiang Mai and Quezon City have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Quezon City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Quezon City 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.29 ₱273

-47.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.04 ₱1,213

-0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.70 ₱172

105.56%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.62 ₱167

-36.26%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.67 ₱42.91

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.26 ₱16.47

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.42 ₱90.8

66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.80 ₱179

30.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.67 ₱107

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.10 ₱69.9

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.85 ₱54.0

56.47%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.76 ₱112

29.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.60 ₱420

149.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.10 ₱261

-32.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.05 ₱449

32.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.96 ₱252

-40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.41 ₱90.1

-31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.49 ₱222

-54.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.14 ₱72.8

31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$2.26 ₱144

-43.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$3.29 ₱210

-66.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.36 ₱86.7

-47.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.95 ₱60.3

-48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.75 ₱176

50.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.24 ₱461

141.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.27 ₱80.7

26.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.72 ₱110

61.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.26 ₱16.47

234.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$19.11 ₱1,217

183.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.80 ₱51.1

45.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.23 ₱14.69

130.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.56 ₱163

-5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.17 ₱74.8

23.93%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-0.52%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$18.6K ₱1.2M

44.69%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$161 ₱10.3K

-61.36%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$14.15 ₱901

-13.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$24.29 ₱1,548

-17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$37.60 ₱2,396

-0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$3.33 ₱212

13.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.09 ₱452

-8.46%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$71.8 ₱4,576

925.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$2,476 ₱157.8K

496.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$34.53 ₱2,200

54.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$21.92 ₱1,397

12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$78.5 ₱5,000

16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$75.5 ₱4,812

-4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$476 ₱30.3K

1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$263 ₱16.7K

17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$984 ₱62.7K

2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$691 ₱44.0K

-8.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$2,779 ₱177.1K

-14.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,839 ₱117.2K

-13.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$428 ₱27.3K

37.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-20.43%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Quezon City

$263 28.5% 15% $46

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Quezon City

$202 21.9% 13.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Quezon City

$95 10.3% 12.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Quezon City

$199 21.6% 111% $105

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Quezon City

$90 9.8% 16.3% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Quezon City

$22 2.4% 64% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Quezon City

$52 5.6% 3% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $476 in Quezon City. 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 38% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $19 in Quezon City. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Quezon City – so Quezon City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,936,116

💱 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 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 Quezon City 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Quezon 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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,384 in Quezon City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $476 in Quezon City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Quezon City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $923 in Quezon City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quezon City costs $923 versus $936 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Quezon 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.