Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumaguete and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $791 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$791

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $791 per month in Dumaguete vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dumaguete $791
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,202 per month in Dumaguete vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dumaguete $1,202
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,612 per month in Dumaguete vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dumaguete $1,612
Chiang Mai $1,914

Dumaguete is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dumaguete and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Dumaguete 41% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 ₱242

$2.26 ฿75.4

70.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,020

$19.18 ฿641

-15.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 ₱262

$5.59 ฿187

-25.40%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₱143

$1.72 ฿57.6

31.98%

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

$0.72 ₱45.42

$0.64 ฿21.54

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱27.45

$0.33 ฿11.18

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₱84.2

$2.36 ฿78.7

-43.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$3.90 ฿130

-52.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$2.05 ฿68.6

-21.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.40 ฿46.70

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.6

$1.28 ฿42.89

-25.78%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.25 ฿75.3

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 ₱528

$16.94 ฿566

-50.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 ₱277

$2.74 ฿91.6

60.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱441

$9.36 ฿313

-25.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$2.40 ฿80.3

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ₱82.0

$1.01 ฿33.92

28.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 ₱221

$1.61 ฿53.9

118.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.52 ฿50.7

-17.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$1.28 ฿42.90

89.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₱98.8

$1.11 ฿37.22

41.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₱49.58

$0.72 ฿24.09

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.27

$0.52 ฿17.54

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₱146

$4.33 ฿145

-46.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 ₱557

$17.73 ฿593

-50.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱75.7

$1.63 ฿54.4

-26.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱79.1

$2.85 ฿95.3

-55.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₱25.84

$0.85 ฿28.31

-51.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 ₱635

$53.9 ฿1,801

-81.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.64

$1.17 ฿39.18

-41.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₱10.41

$0.57 ฿19.00

-70.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱138

$2.37 ฿79.2

-7.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱66.7

$1.45 ฿48.32

-26.90%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

2.01%

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

$24.1K ₱1.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-8.97%

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

$67.1 ₱4,227

$62.3 ฿2,083

7.72%

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

$10.05 ₱632

$12.27 ฿410

-18.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.78 ₱1,623

$19.97 ฿668

29.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 ₱1,496

$37.91 ฿1,267

-37.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.06 ₱256

$3.76 ฿126

7.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 ₱455

$6.71 ฿224

7.75%

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

$57.8 ₱3,639

$797 ฿26.6K

-92.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,698 ₱106.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-88.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 ₱5,945

$53.3 ฿1,780

77.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 ₱2,022

$25.05 ฿837

28.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₱6,429

$91.6 ฿3,062

11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₱7,053

$73.5 ฿2,455

52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

-48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₱13.0K

$305 ฿10.2K

-32.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

-53.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$552 ฿18.5K

-35.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,082 ₱194.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

61.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$693 ₱43.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-51.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 ₱17.4K

$595 ฿19.9K

-53.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for Dumaguete: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dumaguete

$207 26.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 47.2% $98

Groceries & Markets

Dumaguete

$191 24.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 24.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Dumaguete

$153 19.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 28.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dumaguete

$103 13%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 8.1% $8.4

Eating Out

Dumaguete

$86 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 7.7% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dumaguete

$38 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 34.3% $13

Getting Around

Dumaguete

$13 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 363% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $238 in Dumaguete versus $464 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 run about 116% 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 $16.00 in Dumaguete versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $238 – making Dumaguete the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

08:49 8:49 AM

1 h behind Dumaguete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,103

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dumaguete Chiang Mai 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Dumaguete
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Dumaguete, 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 $1,187 per month in Dumaguete and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dumaguete, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $57.8 per month in Dumaguete and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dumaguete, where all-in costs run around $791, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Dumaguete it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dumaguete costs $791 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dumaguete. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.