Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panglao and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Panglao: $817 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

40

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
Learn more

Panglao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$817

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Panglao vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Panglao $817
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Panglao vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Panglao $1,137
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,456 per month in Panglao vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Panglao $1,456
Chiang Mai $1,914

Panglao is about 13% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panglao and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Panglao 39% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 ₱194

$2.26 ฿75.4

36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.75 ₱1,495

$19.18 ฿641

23.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱248

$5.59 ฿187

-29.52%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₱143

$1.72 ฿57.6

31.98%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$0.64 ฿21.54

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.19

$0.33 ฿11.18

60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₱97.6

$2.36 ฿78.7

-34.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₱119

$3.90 ฿130

-51.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱100

$2.05 ฿68.6

-22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$1.40 ฿46.70

-19.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.2

$1.28 ฿42.89

-26.56%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱113

$2.25 ฿75.3

-20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 ₱540

$16.94 ฿566

-49.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$2.74 ฿91.6

68.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 ₱480

$9.36 ฿313

-18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.40 ฿80.3

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$1.01 ฿33.92

37.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.61 ฿53.9

16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.1

$1.52 ฿50.7

0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$1.28 ฿42.90

88.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.11 ฿37.22

76.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.8

$0.72 ฿24.09

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.49

$0.52 ฿17.54

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$4.33 ฿145

-32.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ₱359

$17.73 ฿593

-67.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₱49.65

$1.63 ฿54.4

-51.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱97.9

$2.85 ฿95.3

-45.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.60

$0.85 ฿28.31

-72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱713

$53.9 ฿1,801

-79.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.14

$1.17 ฿39.18

-37.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.57 ฿19.00

-59.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.37 ฿79.2

-18.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱57.0

$1.45 ฿48.32

-37.93%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

3.58%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-27.54%

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

$58.9 ₱3,711

$62.3 ฿2,083

-5.44%

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

$6.75 ₱425

$12.27 ฿410

-44.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.52 ₱1,544

$19.97 ฿668

22.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.96 ₱1,320

$37.91 ฿1,267

-44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.71 ₱297

$3.76 ฿126

25.27%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 ₱247

$6.71 ฿224

-41.58%

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

$135 ₱8,504

$797 ฿26.6K

-83.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,988 ₱502.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-46.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.48 ₱2,045

$53.3 ฿1,780

-39.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.59 ₱1,233

$25.05 ฿837

-21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 ₱4,183

$91.6 ฿3,062

-27.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.63 ₱2,999

$73.5 ฿2,455

-35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ₱17.7K

$464 ฿15.5K

-39.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₱21.6K

$305 ฿10.2K

12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 ₱35.7K

$915 ฿30.6K

-38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ₱24.6K

$552 ฿18.5K

-29.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$947 ₱59.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-50.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,014 ₱63.8K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-29.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.57

29.26%

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

Last update for Panglao: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panglao

$343 42%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 11.2% $38

Groceries & Markets

Panglao

$183 22.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 30.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panglao

$90 11%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 4.8% $4.4

Eating Out

Panglao

$84 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 5.7% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Panglao

$75 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 46.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Panglao

$29 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 78.3% $23

Getting Around

Panglao

$14 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 334% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $280 in Panglao versus $464 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Panglao versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Panglao vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Panglao wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Panglao

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

05:10 5:10 AM

1 h behind Panglao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,839

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panglao Chiang Mai 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Panglao
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Panglao, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,226 per month in Panglao and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panglao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Panglao and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Panglao, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Panglao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panglao costs $817 versus $938 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 Panglao. 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.