Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pablo and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pablo: $634 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in San Pablo
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San Pablo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

San Pablo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$634

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $634 per month in San Pablo vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pablo $634
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $917 per month in San Pablo vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pablo $917
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,200 per month in San Pablo vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

San Pablo $1,200
Chiang Mai $1,914

San Pablo is about 32% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Pablo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – San Pablo 53% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 ₱245

$2.26 ฿75.4

72.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.47 ₱1,037

$19.18 ฿641

-14.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.81 ₱177

$5.59 ฿187

-49.73%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₱115

$1.72 ฿57.6

6.40%

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

$0.38 ₱24.14

$0.64 ฿21.54

-40.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 ₱11.26

$0.33 ฿11.18

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.7

$2.36 ฿78.7

-56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₱103

$3.90 ฿130

-58.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱105

$2.05 ฿68.6

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.2

$1.40 ฿46.70

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.1

$1.28 ฿42.89

-26.56%

Eggs

$2.08 ₱131

$2.25 ฿75.3

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 ₱324

$16.94 ฿566

-69.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ₱215

$2.74 ฿91.6

24.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 ₱487

$9.36 ฿313

-17.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.40 ฿80.3

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ₱88.8

$1.01 ฿33.92

39.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.3

$1.52 ฿50.7

-31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.28 ฿42.90

25.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.11 ฿37.22

60.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.28

$0.72 ฿24.09

-15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.95

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ₱179

$4.33 ฿145

-34.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₱409

$17.73 ฿593

-63.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.63 ฿54.4

-41.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱127

$2.85 ฿95.3

-29.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.37

$0.85 ฿28.31

-72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.0

$1.17 ฿39.18

-30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.79

$0.57 ฿19.00

-56.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$2.37 ฿79.2

-21.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$1.45 ฿48.32

-20.69%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

5.59%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-27.26%

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

$143 ₱9,016

$62.3 ฿2,083

129.74%

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

$11.84 ₱746

$12.27 ฿410

-3.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.37 ₱1,471

$19.97 ฿668

17.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 ₱323

$6.71 ฿224

-23.55%

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

$132 ₱8,290

$797 ฿26.6K

-83.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₱683.6K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-26.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.42 ₱1,852

$53.3 ฿1,780

-44.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.58 ₱1,232

$25.05 ฿837

-21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,502

$91.6 ฿3,062

-21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ₱3,500

$73.5 ฿2,455

-24.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 ₱8,963

$464 ฿15.5K

-69.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ₱7,875

$305 ฿10.2K

-58.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$206 ₱13.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

-77.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 ₱11.8K

$552 ฿18.5K

-65.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$956 ₱60.2K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-50.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$811 ₱51.1K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-43.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$292 ₱18.4K

$595 ฿19.9K

-51.02%

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 Pablo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pablo

$178 28.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 47% $84

Groceries & Markets

San Pablo

$166 26.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 43.4% $72

Accommodation & Living

San Pablo

$125 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 144% $180

Clothing & Footwear

San Pablo

$79 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 38.2% $30

Eating Out

San Pablo

$72 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 9.4% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

San Pablo

$10 * 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 400% $41

Getting Around

San Pablo

$3 * 0.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 1957% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $142 in San Pablo 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.

Salaries run about 104% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $16.00 in San Pablo versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $238 – making San Pablo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Pablo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

1 h behind San Pablo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

266,068

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 19, 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 19, 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

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Between locations

San Pablo Chiang Mai 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Chiang Mai costs about 48% more than San Pablo, 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 $951 per month in San Pablo 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 San Pablo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in San Pablo and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Pablo, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In San Pablo 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. San Pablo costs $634 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 San Pablo. 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.