Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tacloban

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
Learn more

Tacloban Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $771 in Tacloban, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tacloban $771

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,152 in Tacloban, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tacloban $1,152

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,532 in Tacloban, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tacloban $1,532

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Tacloban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.00 ₱255

-44.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$15.55 ₱990

22.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.33 ₱148

138.20%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.31 ₱147

-27.71%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.68 ₱43.43

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.36 ₱23.14

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.59 ₱101

48.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.17 ₱138

68.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.91 ₱122

2.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.11 ₱70.4

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.80 ₱51.0

66.25%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.89 ₱121

20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.05 ₱640

63.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.11 ₱262

-32.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.18 ₱457

29.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.18 ₱202

-26.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.08 ₱68.6

-10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.28 ₱145

-29.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.46 ₱93.0

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.30 ₱146

-44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.85 ₱118

-40.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.09 ₱69.5

-34.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.60 ₱38.13

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.86 ₱118

122.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$6.30 ₱401

178.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.07 ₱68.2

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.72 ₱109

61.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.20 ₱12.78

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$12.30 ₱783

339.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.78 ₱49.73

48.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.22 ₱14.03

140.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.86 ₱119

30.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.04 ₱66.0

39.42%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-0.89%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

43.04%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$117 ₱7,461

-46.93%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$15.64 ₱996

-22.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$28.34 ₱1,805

-29.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$31.68 ₱2,018

17.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$5.30 ₱338

-28.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.36 ₱341

21.08%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$131 ₱8,331

462.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,929 ₱505.0K

86.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$32.33 ₱2,059

65.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$19.29 ₱1,229

27.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$76.5 ₱4,873

19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$56.0 ₱3,566

28.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$254 ₱16.2K

89.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$191 ₱12.2K

61.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$498 ₱31.7K

101.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$348 ₱22.1K

82.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,586 ₱164.7K

-8.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,114 ₱70.9K

42.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$340 ₱21.7K

73.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tacloban

$191 24.8% 38% $118

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tacloban

$195 25.3% 16.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tacloban

$83 10.7% 23.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tacloban

$161 20.9% 70.6% $67

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tacloban

$83 10.8% 7.2% $5.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tacloban

$15 1.9% 75.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tacloban

$42 5.5% 15.7% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $254 in Tacloban. 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 73% 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 $16 in Tacloban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $195 – making Tacloban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

13:26 1:26 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

242,089

💱 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 Tacloban 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tacloban

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 Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Tacloban, 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 $1,157 in Tacloban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tacloban, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $131 in Tacloban. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

If budget matters most, go with Tacloban. 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.