Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $730 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in El Nido vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

El Nido $730
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,156 per month in El Nido vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

El Nido $1,156
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in El Nido vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

El Nido $1,582
Chiang Mai $1,979

El Nido is about 22% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 ₱247

$2.24 ฿75.7

72.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ₱1,942

$19.00 ฿642

59.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 ₱230

$5.55 ฿188

-35.14%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱140

$1.67 ฿56.6

31.14%

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

$1.14 ₱73.2

$0.64 ฿21.56

78.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱20.11

$0.31 ฿10.32

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱78.6

$2.36 ฿79.6

-47.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱119

$3.66 ฿124

-49.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.95 ฿65.8

-5.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱65.4

$1.44 ฿48.51

-29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.33 ฿45.07

-4.51%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱119

$2.28 ฿77.1

-18.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 ₱380

$16.45 ฿556

-63.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ₱248

$2.78 ฿94.0

39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 ₱433

$9.31 ฿314

-27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱148

$2.35 ฿79.5

-1.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱103

$0.97 ฿32.82

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$1.60 ฿53.9

41.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.5

$1.50 ฿50.7

-25.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱132

$1.28 ฿43.15

60.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.10 ฿37.22

101.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$0.71 ฿23.84

60.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱36.09

$0.49 ฿16.38

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱187

$4.14 ฿140

-29.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₱530

$17.52 ฿592

-52.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.3

$1.61 ฿54.5

-42.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱114

$2.78 ฿94.0

-35.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.13

$0.87 ฿29.33

-74.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.54 ₱866

$54.1 ฿1,827

-74.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.48

$1.16 ฿39.08

-33.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$0.53 ฿17.82

-58.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.42 ฿81.8

-17.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$1.45 ฿48.93

-12.41%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-9.75%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-24.85%

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

$125 ₱8,027

$62.2 ฿2,100

101.79%

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

$16.25 ₱1,040

$12.17 ฿411

33.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 ₱1,503

$20.12 ฿680

16.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ₱2,015

$37.31 ฿1,260

-15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.99 ₱319

$3.77 ฿127

32.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱325

$6.49 ฿219

-21.88%

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

$144 ₱9,204

$736 ฿24.9K

-80.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,421 ₱538.9K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-42.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.73 ₱2,158

$53.4 ฿1,802

-36.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,240

$24.64 ฿832

-21.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,196

$91.5 ฿3,089

-28.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 ₱3,986

$71.9 ฿2,429

-13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$482 ฿16.3K

-48.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.3K

$309 ฿10.4K

-48.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₱32.5K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-49.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱23.0K

$633 ฿21.4K

-43.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,535 ₱162.2K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

7.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₱67.4K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-33.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ₱15.8K

$590 ฿19.9K

-58.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$181 24.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 29.4% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$165 22.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 42.8% $71

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$160 22%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 92.8% $149

Eating Out

El Nido

$84 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 7.3% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$81 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 33.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$42 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 20.7% $8.6

Getting Around

El Nido

$16 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 277% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in El Nido 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 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in El Nido versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in El Nido vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so El Nido wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

1 h behind El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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 = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

El Nido Chiang Mai 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than El Nido, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,094 per month in El Nido 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 El Nido, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $144 per month in El Nido 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 29% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $730 in El Nido and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 El Nido. 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.