Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaluyong and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,066 in Mandaluyong, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mandaluyong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,066

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,066 per month in Mandaluyong vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mandaluyong $1,066
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,643 per month in Mandaluyong vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mandaluyong $1,643
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,221 per month in Mandaluyong vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mandaluyong $2,221
Chiang Mai $1,979

Mandaluyong costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mandaluyong and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mandaluyong 22% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 ₱308

$2.24 ฿75.7

114.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.11 ₱1,029

$19.00 ฿642

-15.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.48 ₱222

$5.55 ฿188

-37.30%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₱140

$1.67 ฿56.6

31.74%

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

$0.96 ₱61.3

$0.64 ฿21.56

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.31 ฿10.32

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱74.0

$2.36 ฿79.6

-50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₱149

$3.66 ฿124

-36.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.95 ฿65.8

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ₱83.9

$1.44 ฿48.51

-9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.2

$1.33 ฿45.07

-29.32%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱140

$2.28 ฿77.1

-3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 ₱324

$16.45 ฿556

-69.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.78 ฿94.0

71.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ₱435

$9.31 ฿314

-26.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱211

$2.35 ฿79.5

40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₱121

$0.97 ฿32.82

94.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$1.60 ฿53.9

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.50 ฿50.7

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱141

$1.28 ฿43.15

72.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ₱164

$1.10 ฿37.22

132.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱39.34

$0.71 ฿23.84

-12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.91

$0.49 ฿16.38

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱179

$4.14 ฿140

-32.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.55 ₱546

$17.52 ฿592

-51.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$1.61 ฿54.5

-45.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱129

$2.78 ฿94.0

-27.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₱20.59

$0.87 ฿29.33

-63.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.10 ₱837

$54.1 ฿1,827

-75.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.38

$1.16 ฿39.08

-34.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.53 ฿17.82

-54.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.42 ฿81.8

-21.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.5

$1.45 ฿48.93

-17.24%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

0.16%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-30.39%

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

$138 ₱8,839

$62.2 ฿2,100

122.52%

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

$17.04 ₱1,089

$12.17 ฿411

40.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.94 ₱1,530

$20.12 ฿680

18.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.69 ₱2,025

$37.31 ฿1,260

-15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ₱385

$6.49 ฿219

-7.09%

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

$132 ₱8,429

$736 ฿24.9K

-82.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,937 ₱571.0K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-39.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.86 ₱1,780

$53.4 ฿1,802

-47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.00 ₱1,725

$24.64 ฿832

9.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,505

$91.5 ฿3,089

-22.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,529

$71.9 ฿2,429

-23.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₱46.4K

$482 ฿16.3K

50.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 ₱29.2K

$309 ฿10.4K

48.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 ₱153.0K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

138.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 ₱63.6K

$633 ฿21.4K

57.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 ₱268.6K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

77.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,924 ₱186.8K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

84.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$537 ₱34.3K

$590 ฿19.9K

-8.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.57

21.18%

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

Last update for Mandaluyong: 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

Mandaluyong

$457 42.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 32.5% $148

Groceries & Markets

Mandaluyong

$196 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 19.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaluyong

$179 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 47.3% $85

Eating Out

Mandaluyong

$92 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 15.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaluyong

$81 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 33.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaluyong

$44 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14.9% $6.5

Getting Around

Mandaluyong

$16 1.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 275% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $727 in Mandaluyong 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 run about 10% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Mandaluyong versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $234 – making Mandaluyong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

03:51 3:51 AM

1 h behind Mandaluyong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,758

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 = 2.66 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 = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 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 = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mandaluyong Chiang Mai 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mandaluyong
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

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

Mandaluyong costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,599 per month in Mandaluyong 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $727 in Mandaluyong.

Kindergarten costs $132 per month in Mandaluyong and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Mandaluyong – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,066 in Mandaluyong and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,066 in Mandaluyong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.