Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surigao and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $733 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
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Surigao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $733 per month in Surigao vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surigao $733
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,113 per month in Surigao vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surigao $1,113
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Surigao vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surigao $1,492
Chiang Mai $1,999

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

Both Surigao and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Surigao 46% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 ₱251

$2.13 ฿72.0

85.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.72 ₱1,061

$18.62 ฿628

-10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$5.60 ฿189

-49.64%

Cappuccino

$2.13 ₱135

$1.66 ฿56.1

28.31%

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

$0.67 ₱42.80

$0.65 ฿21.83

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.58

$0.30 ฿10.29

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.4

$2.32 ฿78.4

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$3.67 ฿124

-45.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$2.02 ฿68.0

-20.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.41 ฿47.51

-19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$1.39 ฿46.96

-30.22%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱118

$2.37 ฿79.9

-21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.62 ₱357

$16.52 ฿557

-65.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 ₱263

$2.67 ฿90.1

55.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 ₱436

$9.02 ฿304

-23.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₱153

$2.40 ฿80.9

0.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱100.0

$1.04 ฿35.13

51.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱147

$1.66 ฿56.0

39.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.6

$1.56 ฿52.6

-27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 ₱134

$1.24 ฿41.76

70.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$1.09 ฿36.66

107.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.4

$0.76 ฿25.70

43.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.45

$0.51 ฿17.35

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ₱187

$4.12 ฿139

-28.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 ₱466

$17.93 ฿605

-59.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.6

$1.62 ฿54.8

-43.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱122

$2.82 ฿95.2

-31.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.93

$0.93 ฿31.53

-76.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.28 ₱779

$52.9 ฿1,785

-76.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.01

$1.18 ฿39.70

-35.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.17 ฿5.79

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.81 ฿61.1

4.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.5

$1.47 ฿49.69

-17.01%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

1.26%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-27.38%

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

$120 ₱7,601

$62.6 ฿2,111

91.50%

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

$15.80 ₱1,002

$11.60 ฿392

36.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.90 ₱2,214

$20.30 ฿685

71.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 ₱2,019

$37.88 ฿1,278

-16.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.07 ₱322

$3.70 ฿125

37.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 ₱321

$6.51 ฿220

-22.27%

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

$128 ₱8,111

$727 ฿24.5K

-82.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,715 ₱489.5K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-53.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.90 ₱2,087

$53.5 ฿1,807

-38.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.32 ₱1,226

$24.80 ฿837

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,532

$90.4 ฿3,050

-20.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 ₱3,406

$72.0 ฿2,428

-25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₱15.9K

$481 ฿16.2K

-48.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.6K

$310 ฿10.5K

-45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ₱30.8K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.1K

$659 ฿22.2K

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,651 ₱168.2K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

9.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₱71.3K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-30.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

Last update for Surigao: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surigao

$179 24.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 32.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surigao

$171 23.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 44.6% $76

Accommodation & Living

Surigao

$168 22.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 84.7% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Surigao

$80 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 35.7% $29

Eating Out

Surigao

$79 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 3.6% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Surigao

$42 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 21.4% $9

Getting Around

Surigao

$15 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 291% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $250 in Surigao versus $481 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 $17 in Surigao versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $237 – making Surigao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Surigao

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

03:20 3:20 AM

1 h behind Surigao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,107

127,240

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surigao Chiang Mai 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Surigao
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Surigao, 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 $1,100 per month in Surigao 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 Surigao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $128 per month in Surigao and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Surigao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 22% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.