Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotabato City and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $738 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
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Cotabato City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$738

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotabato City and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cotabato City and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $738 per month in Cotabato City vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cotabato City $738
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,139 per month in Cotabato City vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cotabato City $1,139
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,539 per month in Cotabato City vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cotabato City $1,539
Chiang Mai $1,979

Cotabato City is about 21% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cotabato City and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Cotabato City 46% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 ₱307

$2.24 ฿75.7

114.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.14 ₱1,031

$19.00 ฿642

-15.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₱254

$5.55 ฿188

-28.47%

Cappuccino

$2.17 ₱139

$1.67 ฿56.6

29.94%

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

$1.06 ₱67.6

$0.64 ฿21.56

65.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.75

$0.31 ฿10.32

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$2.36 ฿79.6

-51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱133

$3.66 ฿124

-43.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.95 ฿65.8

3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.44 ฿48.51

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₱48.19

$1.33 ฿45.07

-43.61%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.28 ฿77.1

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 ₱411

$16.45 ฿556

-60.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱293

$2.78 ฿94.0

65.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.44 ₱603

$9.31 ฿314

1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ₱176

$2.35 ฿79.5

17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₱70.0

$0.97 ฿32.82

13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱153

$1.60 ฿53.9

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.7

$1.50 ฿50.7

-22.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ₱126

$1.28 ฿43.15

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 ₱211

$1.10 ฿37.22

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.9

$0.71 ฿23.84

74.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.15

$0.49 ฿16.38

34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 ₱154

$4.14 ฿140

-42.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 ₱513

$17.52 ฿592

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$1.61 ฿54.5

-21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱105

$2.78 ฿94.0

-41.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.87 ฿29.33

-74.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱723

$54.1 ฿1,827

-79.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.30

$1.16 ฿39.08

-34.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.53 ฿17.82

-58.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$2.42 ฿81.8

-23.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$1.45 ฿48.93

-24.14%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-1.14%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-30.34%

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

$108 ₱6,875

$62.2 ฿2,100

73.07%

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

$18.43 ₱1,178

$12.17 ฿411

51.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.97 ₱1,978

$20.12 ฿680

53.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.96 ₱1,978

$37.31 ฿1,260

-17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.25 ₱335

$3.77 ฿127

39.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 ₱302

$6.49 ฿219

-27.12%

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

$105 ₱6,684

$736 ฿24.9K

-85.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,282 ₱465.3K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-50.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.48 ₱2,075

$53.4 ฿1,802

-39.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.49 ₱1,246

$24.64 ฿832

-20.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₱4,438

$91.5 ฿3,089

-24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.5 ₱3,862

$71.9 ฿2,429

-15.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₱14.3K

$482 ฿16.3K

-53.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 ₱9,753

$309 ฿10.4K

-50.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₱28.6K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-55.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ₱21.3K

$633 ฿21.4K

-47.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,692 ₱172.0K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

13.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 ₱64.1K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-36.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

5.57

49.19%

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

Last update for Cotabato City: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cotabato City

$199 26.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 17.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotabato City

$157 21.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 39.8% $63

Accommodation & Living

Cotabato City

$153 20.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 102% $156

Eating Out

Cotabato City

$93 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 16.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Cotabato City

$82 11.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 32.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cotabato City

$40 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 24.4% $9.9

Getting Around

Cotabato City

$14 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 337% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $224 in Cotabato City versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 $16 in Cotabato City versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $234 – making Cotabato City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

1 h behind Cotabato City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,079

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotabato City Chiang Mai 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cotabato City
Chiang Mai

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

Cotabato City vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Cotabato City, 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 $1,107 per month in Cotabato City and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotabato City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $224 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $105 per month in Cotabato City and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing 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 Cotabato City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Cotabato City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 21% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.