Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $823 per month in El Nido vs $845 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,306 per month in El Nido vs $1,323 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in El Nido vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

El Nido is about 3% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both El Nido and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – El Nido 39% lower, Chiang Mai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 ₱311

$1.95 ฿62.8

165.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.48 ₱1,834

$18.43 ฿594

65.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.26 ₱256

$7.50 ฿241

-43.20%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ₱239

$1.93 ฿62.3

106.22%

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

$1.36 ₱82.0

$0.78 ฿25.08

74.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱24.00

$0.32 ฿10.42

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₱82.1

$2.15 ฿69.2

-36.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱125

$3.71 ฿120

-43.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ₱110

$1.71 ฿55.2

6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ₱73.3

$1.56 ฿50.3

-21.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 ₱104

$1.18 ฿38.06

46.61%

Eggs

$2.60 ₱156

$1.98 ฿63.9

31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 ₱491

$16.04 ฿517

-49.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱199

$3.17 ฿102

4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.31 ₱500

$10.94 ฿353

-24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 ₱181

$2.63 ฿84.7

14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₱41.33

$1.17 ฿37.61

-41.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₱163

$1.65 ฿53.0

64.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 ₱127

$1.54 ฿49.51

37.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱133

$1.38 ฿44.34

60.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 ₱127

$1.17 ฿37.54

80.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱66.7

$0.66 ฿21.25

68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱42.79

$0.51 ฿16.55

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱168

$4.52 ฿146

-38.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 ₱548

$18.32 ฿590

-50.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₱70.1

$1.80 ฿57.9

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱124

$3.18 ฿102

-35.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₱22.04

$0.90 ฿28.97

-58.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿612

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱46.89

$1.41 ฿45.50

-44.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.15

$1.31 ฿42.15

-83.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 ₱127

$8.09 ฿261

-74.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱62.5

$1.28 ฿41.08

-18.75%

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

$27.0K ₱1.6M

$21.3K ฿686.1K

26.88%

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

$20.1K ₱1.2M

$21.7K ฿699.3K

-7.21%

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

$114 ₱6,885

$69.2 ฿2,230

65.32%

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

$32.43 ₱1,952

$13.97 ฿450

132.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 ₱1,911

$17.95 ฿578

76.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.21 ₱2,059

$42.31 ฿1,363

-19.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.42 ₱266

$6.66 ฿214

-33.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 ₱354

$5.92 ฿191

-0.68%

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

$153 ₱9,236

$299 ฿9,640

-48.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,376 ₱263.4K

$14.8K ฿478.4K

-70.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 ₱2,789

$56.2 ฿1,810

-17.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ₱1,586

$26.94 ฿868

-2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,551

$84.9 ฿2,735

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 ₱3,232

$71.8 ฿2,314

-25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱15.8K

$435 ฿14.0K

-39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₱10.8K

$240 ฿7,727

-25.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 ₱34.9K

$798 ฿25.7K

-27.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₱24.1K

$498 ฿16.1K

-19.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,567 ₱154.5K

$1,995 ฿64.3K

28.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 ₱15.7K

$628 ฿20.2K

-58.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

33.40%

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

Last update for El Nido: April 22, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in El Nido versus $435 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 140% 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 $30 in El Nido versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in El Nido vs $244 in Chiang Mai – so El Nido wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 3% more than El Nido, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,235 per month in El Nido and $1,267 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in El Nido and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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 $823 in El Nido and $845 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Nido costs $823 versus $845 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 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.