Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Manila and in Chiang Mai: $931 and $906 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Manila vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Manila $931
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Manila vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Manila $1,519
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $2,106 per month in Manila vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Manila $2,106
Chiang Mai $1,864

Manila costs about 3% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manila and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ₱352

$2.13 ฿71.4

163.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ₱1,718

$19.40 ฿649

41.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱248

$5.47 ฿183

-27.79%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$1.68 ฿56.4

52.38%

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

$1.42 ₱89.1

$0.66 ฿22.10

115.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱50.9

$0.34 ฿11.52

138.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.2

$2.42 ฿81.0

-51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.73 ฿125

-36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.06 ฿68.9

-5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱88.0

$1.46 ฿48.78

-4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.2

$1.35 ฿45.09

-24.44%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$2.27 ฿76.0

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₱493

$16.31 ฿546

-51.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₱307

$2.70 ฿90.3

81.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱425

$9.20 ฿308

-26.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱212

$2.39 ฿80.1

41.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱116

$1.04 ฿34.66

77.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₱186

$1.60 ฿53.7

85.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱112

$1.44 ฿48.37

24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱140

$1.30 ฿43.59

72.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱168

$1.11 ฿37.29

142.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₱138

$0.70 ฿23.55

214.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.51 ฿16.99

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱196

$4.13 ฿138

-24.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱591

$17.78 ฿595

-47.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.3

$1.63 ฿54.7

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱125

$2.87 ฿96.0

-30.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.46

$0.86 ฿28.76

-45.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱789

$53.2 ฿1,780

-76.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.77

$1.22 ฿40.81

-36.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.43

$0.56 ฿18.81

-58.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.31 ฿77.5

-16.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.50 ฿50.2

-11.33%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ฿698.3K

2.31%

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

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$26.7K ฿895.0K

-26.36%

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

$121 ₱7,614

$61.3 ฿2,051

98.17%

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

$16.04 ₱1,006

$12.50 ฿419

28.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,521

$20.36 ฿682

19.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ₱2,724

$37.94 ฿1,270

14.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ₱370

$3.77 ฿126

56.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₱416

$6.60 ฿221

0.45%

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

$613 ₱38.4K

$774 ฿25.9K

-20.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 ₱561.6K

$14.4K ฿483.2K

-37.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ₱3,647

$54.8 ฿1,835

6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.18 ₱1,704

$25.26 ฿846

7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ₱4,862

$90.6 ฿3,032

-14.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,574

$73.3 ฿2,453

-22.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₱33.5K

$459 ฿15.4K

16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₱18.0K

$294 ฿9,835

-2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.2K

$919 ฿30.8K

108.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₱42.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

22.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,439 ₱278.4K

$1,917 ฿64.2K

131.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,556 ₱160.3K

$1,445 ฿48.4K

76.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₱30.4K

$592 ฿19.8K

-18.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

5.57

33.39%

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

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$287 30.2%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 2.4% $6.8

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$221 23.3%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 6.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$162 17%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 41.8% $68

Eating Out

Manila

$107 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 27.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 10.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 9.8% $5.6

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 270% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Manila versus $459 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 22% 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 $27.00 in Manila versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $221 in Manila vs $236 in Chiang Mai – so Manila wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

1 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Manila
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

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

Manila costs about 3% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,396 per month in Manila and $1,359 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Manila and $774 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 7% cheaper in Manila – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Manila at $931. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $931 in Manila. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.