Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $839 per month in Davao vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Davao $839
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,275 per month in Davao vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Davao $1,275
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,712 per month in Davao vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Davao $1,712
Chiang Mai $1,979

Davao is about 10% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Davao and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Davao 38% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 ₱300

$2.24 ฿75.6

110.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.33 ₱1,677

$19.00 ฿641

38.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 ₱244

$5.55 ฿187

-30.99%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$1.67 ฿56.5

51.50%

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

$1.06 ₱67.5

$0.64 ฿21.55

65.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.75

$0.31 ฿10.31

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ₱97.3

$2.36 ฿79.6

-35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$3.66 ฿124

-34.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱125

$1.95 ฿65.8

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.2

$1.44 ฿48.48

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$1.33 ฿45.04

-31.58%

Eggs

$1.84 ₱117

$2.28 ฿77.1

-19.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱408

$16.45 ฿555

-61.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱293

$2.78 ฿93.9

65.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 ₱572

$9.31 ฿314

-3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱171

$2.35 ฿79.4

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.5

$0.97 ฿32.80

9.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 ₱155

$1.60 ฿53.9

51.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$1.50 ฿50.6

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.28 ฿43.12

55.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₱214

$1.10 ฿37.19

204.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.9

$0.71 ฿23.82

74.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱45.16

$0.49 ฿16.37

44.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱157

$4.14 ฿140

-40.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱509

$17.52 ฿591

-54.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.61 ฿54.5

-21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱101

$2.78 ฿94.0

-43.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.87 ฿29.31

-75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.16 ₱838

$54.1 ฿1,826

-75.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.5

$1.16 ฿39.06

-30.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$0.53 ฿17.80

-54.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱117

$2.42 ฿81.8

-24.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.4

$1.45 ฿48.90

-15.86%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

1.32%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-29.31%

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

$105 ₱6,681

$62.2 ฿2,098

68.73%

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

$19.14 ₱1,219

$12.17 ฿411

57.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.17 ₱1,921

$20.12 ฿679

49.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 ₱2,189

$37.31 ฿1,259

-7.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 ₱219

$3.77 ฿127

-8.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₱303

$6.49 ฿219

-26.81%

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

$104 ₱6,643

$736 ฿24.8K

-85.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ₱480.0K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-48.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 ₱3,888

$53.4 ฿1,801

14.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 ₱1,958

$24.64 ฿831

24.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₱4,438

$91.5 ฿3,087

-23.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ₱3,827

$71.9 ฿2,428

-16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$482 ฿16.3K

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₱14.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

-25.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₱46.0K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-28.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₱25.7K

$633 ฿21.4K

-36.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 ₱100.9K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-32.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 ₱86.9K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-14.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 ₱13.2K

$590 ฿19.9K

-64.89%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$229 27.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 34.8% $80

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$197 23.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 18.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$154 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 38.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$100 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 9% $8.9

Eating Out

Davao

$99 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 21.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$44 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14.6% $6.4

Getting Around

Davao

$16 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 283% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $350 in Davao 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.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Davao versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Davao vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Davao wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h behind Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

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 = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Davao Chiang Mai 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Davao
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

Davao vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Davao, 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 $1,258 per month in Davao 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 Davao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $350 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $104 per month in Davao 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 19% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Davao costs $839 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 Davao. 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.