Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naga and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $552 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Naga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$552

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $552 per month in Naga vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Naga $552
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $845 per month in Naga vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Naga $845
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,138 per month in Naga vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Naga $1,138
Chiang Mai $1,979

Naga is about 41% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Naga and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Naga 59% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 ₱326

$2.24 ฿75.7

127.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 ₱854

$19.00 ฿642

-29.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱177

$5.55 ฿188

-50.09%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ₱175

$1.67 ฿56.6

64.07%

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

$0.67 ₱42.90

$0.64 ฿21.56

4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱14.03

$0.31 ฿10.32

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₱83.4

$2.36 ฿79.6

-44.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₱198

$3.66 ฿124

-15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱125

$1.95 ฿65.8

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₱51.1

$1.44 ฿48.51

-44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₱49.27

$1.33 ฿45.07

-42.11%

Eggs

$1.68 ₱107

$2.28 ฿77.1

-26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 ₱643

$16.45 ฿556

-38.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 ₱264

$2.78 ฿94.0

48.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.84 ₱437

$9.31 ฿314

-26.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.35 ฿79.5

-19.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₱106

$0.97 ฿32.82

71.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱154

$1.60 ฿53.9

50.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 ₱152

$1.50 ฿50.7

58.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ₱162

$1.28 ฿43.15

97.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 ₱141

$1.10 ฿37.22

100.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.63 ₱296

$0.71 ฿23.84

552.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.38

$0.49 ฿16.38

22.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 ₱176

$4.14 ฿140

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.77 ₱241

$17.52 ฿592

-78.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₱97.6

$1.61 ฿54.5

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 ₱36.83

$1.16 ฿39.08

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.0

$1.45 ฿48.93

-17.93%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$97.7 ₱6,243

$62.2 ฿2,100

57.17%

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

$23.84 ₱1,523

$12.17 ฿411

95.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.59 ₱1,635

$20.12 ฿680

27.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.73 ₱494

$37.31 ฿1,260

-79.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 ₱307

$6.49 ฿219

-26.04%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,801 ₱498.4K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-47.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱10.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

-67.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.9 ₱5,487

$309 ฿10.4K

-72.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 ₱15.4K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-76.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.5K

$633 ฿21.4K

-69.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$138 ₱8,843

$590 ฿19.9K

-76.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Naga: 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

Naga

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Naga

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Naga

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Naga

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Naga

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Naga

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Naga

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $158 in Naga 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 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Naga versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $234 – making Naga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Naga

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

1 h behind Naga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,750

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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Between locations

Naga Chiang Mai 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Naga
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 70% more than Naga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $828 per month in Naga 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 Naga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $158 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $552 in Naga and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 70%.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $552 in Naga and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $552 in Naga to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Naga. 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.