Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Legazpi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Legazpi: $709 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Legazpi, Philippines
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Legazpi
🇵🇭 Philippines
$709
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Legazpi vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Legazpi $709
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,094 per month in Legazpi vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Legazpi $1,094
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,480 per month in Legazpi vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Legazpi $1,480
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Legazpi is about 24% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Legazpi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Legazpi 48% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.86 ₱247
$2.24 ฿75.7
72.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.72 ₱1,068
$19.00 ฿642
-12.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.83 ₱181
$5.55 ฿188
-49.01%
Cappuccino
$2.19 ₱140
$1.67 ฿56.6
31.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₱40.79
$0.64 ฿21.56
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₱21.43
$0.31 ฿10.32
9.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.19 ₱75.8
$2.36 ฿79.6
-49.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 ₱136
$3.66 ฿124
-41.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ₱101
$1.95 ฿65.8
-18.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 ₱69.6
$1.44 ฿48.51
-24.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.95 ₱60.7
$1.33 ฿45.07
-28.57%
Eggs
$2.60 ₱166
$2.28 ฿77.1
14.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.53 ₱353
$16.45 ฿556
-66.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.08 ₱261
$2.78 ฿94.0
46.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.82 ₱436
$9.31 ฿314
-26.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₱146
$2.35 ฿79.5
-2.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 ₱99.6
$0.97 ฿32.82
60.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 ₱154
$1.60 ฿53.9
50.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.17 ₱74.6
$1.50 ฿50.7
-22.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 ₱130
$1.28 ฿43.15
59.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 ₱145
$1.10 ฿37.22
106.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ₱69.3
$0.71 ฿23.84
52.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱34.02
$0.49 ฿16.38
8.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.96 ₱189
$4.14 ฿140
-28.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.39 ₱472
$17.52 ฿592
-57.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 ₱66.2
$1.61 ฿54.5
-35.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 ₱124
$2.78 ฿94.0
-30.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 ₱11.32
$0.87 ฿29.33
-79.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.82 ₱755
$54.1 ฿1,827
-78.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 ₱47.69
$1.16 ฿39.08
-35.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.71
$0.53 ฿17.82
-56.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 ₱117
$2.42 ฿81.8
-24.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 ₱74.0
$1.45 ฿48.93
-20.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K ₱1.5M
$21.1K ฿711.2K
13.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.1K ₱1.2M
$26.9K ฿909.8K
-32.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 ₱7,577
$62.2 ฿2,100
90.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.23 ₱973
$12.17 ฿411
25.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.18 ₱1,928
$20.12 ฿680
50.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.32 ₱2,001
$37.31 ฿1,260
-16.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.23 ₱334
$3.77 ฿127
38.73%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 ₱334
$6.49 ฿219
-19.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$129 ₱8,226
$736 ฿24.9K
-82.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,669 ₱490.0K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-48.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.40 ₱2,070
$53.4 ฿1,802
-39.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.79 ₱1,201
$24.64 ฿832
-23.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.5 ₱6,103
$91.5 ฿3,089
4.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.5 ₱3,481
$71.9 ฿2,429
-24.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$193 ₱12.3K
$482 ฿16.3K
-60.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$138 ₱8,838
$309 ฿10.4K
-55.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$515 ₱32.9K
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-48.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$316 ₱20.2K
$633 ฿21.4K
-50.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,906 ₱185.7K
$2,363 ฿79.8K
22.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,050 ₱67.1K
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-33.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Legazpi
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$264 ₱16.8K
$590 ฿19.9K
-55.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
5.57
81.69%

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

Last update for Legazpi: 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
Legazpi
$180
Chiang Mai
$234 30.3% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Legazpi
$164
Chiang Mai
$94 42.4% $70
Accommodation & Living
Legazpi
$138
Chiang Mai
$309 123% $171
Clothing & Footwear
Legazpi
$91
Chiang Mai
$109 20% $18
Eating Out
Legazpi
$80
Chiang Mai
$78 2.6% $2.1
Sport & Entertainment
Legazpi
$42
Chiang Mai
$50 20.4% $8.5
Getting Around
Legazpi
$14
Chiang Mai
$61 325% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $193 in Legazpi 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 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Legazpi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $234 – making Legazpi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Legazpi
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
00:07 12:07 AM
23:07 11:07 PM
1 h behind Legazpi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
209,533
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 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 = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Legazpi Chiang Mai 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Legazpi
  • 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
Legazpi vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Legazpi or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Legazpi, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Legazpi and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,063 per month in Legazpi and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Legazpi or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Legazpi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $193 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Legazpi and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Legazpi and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Legazpi or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 30% 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.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Legazpi or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $709 in Legazpi and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Legazpi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Legazpi compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Legazpi or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Legazpi. 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.

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