Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Philippines and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $727 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $727 per month in San Juan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Juan $727
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,099 per month in San Juan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Juan $1,099
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,471 per month in San Juan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Juan $1,471
Chiang Mai $1,979

San Juan is about 22% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Juan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – San Juan 47% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$2.24 ฿75.6

78.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,032

$19.00 ฿641

-14.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 ₱178

$5.55 ฿187

-49.55%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₱166

$1.67 ฿56.5

56.29%

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

$0.61 ₱38.78

$0.64 ฿21.54

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.31

$0.31 ฿10.31

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$2.36 ฿79.5

-57.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.3

$3.66 ฿124

-57.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.95 ฿65.7

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱72.3

$1.44 ฿48.46

-21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$1.33 ฿45.03

-31.58%

Eggs

$1.77 ₱113

$2.28 ฿77.1

-22.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 ₱317

$16.45 ฿555

-69.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.78 ฿93.9

19.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱445

$9.31 ฿314

-25.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱140

$2.35 ฿79.4

-6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ₱88.9

$0.97 ฿32.79

44.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱145

$1.60 ฿53.9

41.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.9

$1.50 ฿50.6

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.28 ฿43.11

35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$1.10 ฿37.18

53.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₱38.18

$0.71 ฿23.82

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$0.49 ฿16.36

81.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₱172

$4.14 ฿140

-34.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 ₱479

$17.52 ฿591

-57.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.5

$1.61 ฿54.5

-42.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱111

$2.78 ฿93.9

-37.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.92

$0.87 ฿29.30

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ₱732

$54.1 ฿1,825

-78.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.56

$1.16 ฿39.04

-35.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.53 ฿17.80

-60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱119

$2.42 ฿81.7

-22.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱74.5

$1.45 ฿48.88

-19.31%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-0.20%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-28.91%

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

$136 ₱8,682

$62.2 ฿2,098

119.16%

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

$14.17 ₱903

$12.17 ฿411

16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.95 ₱1,526

$20.12 ฿679

19.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.03 ₱1,722

$37.31 ฿1,259

-27.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱329

$3.77 ฿127

36.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₱319

$6.49 ฿219

-22.80%

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

$70.3 ₱4,482

$736 ฿24.8K

-90.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,442 ₱155.6K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-83.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 ₱1,830

$53.4 ฿1,801

-46.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 ₱1,225

$24.64 ฿831

-22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,522

$91.5 ฿3,087

-22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,522

$71.9 ฿2,427

-23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

-44.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$309 ฿10.4K

-44.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₱31.4K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-51.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.7K

$633 ฿21.4K

-43.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 ₱146.8K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-2.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 ₱75.6K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-25.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$235 ₱15.0K

$590 ฿19.9K

-60.11%

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 San Juan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$174 24%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 45.8% $80

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$170 23.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 81.7% $139

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$169 23.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 38.3% $65

Eating Out

San Juan

$84 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 7.2% $6

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$78 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 38.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$37 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 35.7% $13

Getting Around

San Juan

$14 2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 330% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in San Juan 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 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in San Juan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $234 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Juan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

1 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,347

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 = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

San Juan
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

San Juan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than San Juan, 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 $1,091 per month in San Juan 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 San Juan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $269 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $70 per month in San Juan 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 38% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $727 in San Juan and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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