Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,094 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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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Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,094

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,094 per month in Philipsburg vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Philipsburg $3,094
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $6,080 per month in Philipsburg vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Philipsburg $6,080
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $9,066 per month in Philipsburg vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Philipsburg $9,066
Chiang Mai $1,979

Philipsburg costs about 231% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Philipsburg sits 127% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 ANG 27.37

$2.24 ฿75.6

582.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 ANG 123

$19.00 ฿641

261.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 ANG 14.34

$5.55 ฿187

44.32%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ANG 7.93

$1.67 ฿56.5

165.27%

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

$2.86 ANG 5.13

$0.64 ฿21.55

346.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 ANG 7.29

$0.31 ฿10.31

1212.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 ANG 5.26

$2.36 ฿79.6

24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 ANG 11.90

$3.66 ฿124

81.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 ANG 5.41

$1.95 ฿65.8

54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 ANG 4.89

$1.44 ฿48.48

89.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 ANG 4.40

$1.33 ฿45.04

84.96%

Eggs

$6.46 ANG 11.56

$2.28 ฿77.1

183.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.14 ANG 32.47

$16.45 ฿555

10.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 ANG 24.61

$2.78 ฿93.9

394.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 ANG 27.10

$9.31 ฿314

62.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 ANG 9.11

$2.35 ฿79.4

116.60%

Banana (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.07

$0.97 ฿32.80

422.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.79 ANG 15.73

$1.60 ฿53.9

449.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.70 ANG 13.78

$1.50 ฿50.6

413.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 ANG 7.04

$1.28 ฿43.12

207.81%

Onion (1kg)

$4.06 ANG 7.27

$1.10 ฿37.19

269.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.95 ANG 8.86

$0.71 ฿23.82

597.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ANG 2.44

$0.49 ฿16.37

177.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 ANG 14.11

$4.14 ฿140

90.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 ANG 19.61

$17.52 ฿591

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.98 ANG 8.91

$1.61 ฿54.5

209.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 ANG 4.15

$0.87 ฿29.31

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.53 ANG 2.74

$54.1 ฿1,826

-97.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.87 ANG 26.61

$1.16 ฿39.06

1181.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

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

$153 ANG 273

$62.2 ฿2,098

145.41%

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

$32.43 ANG 58.1

$12.17 ฿411

166.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 ANG 116

$20.12 ฿679

223.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 ANG 114

$37.31 ฿1,259

70.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 ANG 19.72

$6.49 ฿219

69.80%

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

$253 ANG 452

$736 ฿24.8K

-65.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ANG 21.9K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-17.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ANG 3,805

$482 ฿16.3K

340.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ANG 3,550

$309 ฿10.4K

542.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,627 ANG 11.9K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

558.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,545 ANG 11.7K

$633 ฿21.4K

933.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 ANG 1,988

$590 ฿19.9K

88.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Philipsburg

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Philipsburg

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Philipsburg

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philipsburg

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Philipsburg

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Philipsburg

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Philipsburg

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,126 in Philipsburg 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 88% higher in Philipsburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Philipsburg versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

19:29 7:29 PM

11 h ahead of Philipsburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.501 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ANG – Netherlands Antillean Guilder Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ƒ)

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 ANG (1 ANG = 0.501 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ANG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Philipsburg Chiang Mai 15,480 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Philipsburg
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

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

Philipsburg costs about 231% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $4,641 per month in Philipsburg 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 $2,126 in Philipsburg.

Kindergarten costs $253 per month in Philipsburg and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 111% more in Philipsburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,094 in Philipsburg 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 $3,094 in Philipsburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Philipsburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.