Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagbilaran City and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagbilaran City: $620 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tagbilaran City
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Tagbilaran City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tagbilaran City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$620

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $620 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $620
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,005 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $1,005
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $1,390
Chiang Mai $1,903

Tagbilaran City is about 33% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tagbilaran City and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tagbilaran City 54% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ₱185

$2.29 ฿76.5

27.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.16 ₱1,081

$19.64 ฿656

-12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.91 ₱183

$5.61 ฿188

-48.13%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₱156

$1.66 ฿55.6

49.40%

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

$0.99 ₱62.6

$0.70 ฿23.40

41.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱26.32

$0.31 ฿10.24

35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ₱48.77

$2.41 ฿80.4

-68.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₱142

$3.71 ฿124

-39.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.95 ฿65.3

-23.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$1.41 ฿47.03

-28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₱61.9

$1.31 ฿43.62

-25.19%

Eggs

$1.72 ₱108

$2.18 ฿72.9

-21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 ₱610

$16.65 ฿556

-41.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 ₱287

$2.76 ฿92.2

65.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$9.11 ฿304

-15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ₱183

$2.39 ฿80.0

21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ₱82.3

$1.03 ฿34.26

27.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.63 ฿54.4

44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ₱95.8

$1.50 ฿50.0

1.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.29 ฿43.13

79.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.11 ฿37.03

71.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₱43.81

$0.72 ฿24.08

-2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.38

$0.53 ฿17.59

-5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₱149

$4.31 ฿144

-45.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 ₱399

$17.95 ฿600

-64.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$1.58 ฿52.9

-41.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₱65.7

$2.84 ฿95.0

-63.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.42

$0.86 ฿28.86

-45.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.99

$1.21 ฿40.29

-34.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.87

$0.57 ฿18.99

-61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ₱276

$2.35 ฿78.6

86.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱65.1

$1.44 ฿47.96

-28.47%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

3.72%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-28.54%

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

$78.0 ₱4,911

$62.3 ฿2,083

25.14%

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

$14.28 ₱899

$12.11 ฿405

17.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.32 ₱1,594

$19.94 ฿666

26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.92 ₱687

$37.07 ฿1,239

-70.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.22 ₱203

$3.78 ฿126

-14.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.60 ₱227

$6.50 ฿217

-44.62%

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

$280 ₱17.6K

$793 ฿26.5K

-64.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,908 ₱497.9K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-46.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.94 ₱2,326

$53.7 ฿1,796

-31.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.89 ₱1,126

$24.62 ฿823

-27.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.0 ₱4,094

$90.9 ฿3,036

-28.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.2 ₱3,665

$71.1 ฿2,378

-18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₱12.0K

$455 ฿15.2K

-58.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 ₱8,524

$298 ฿9,954

-54.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₱30.3K

$908 ฿30.4K

-46.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.0K

$554 ฿18.5K

-36.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$805 ₱50.7K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-58.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$476 ₱30.0K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-67.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$171 ₱10.8K

$591 ฿19.7K

-71.01%

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 Tagbilaran City: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tagbilaran City

$189 30.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 24.5% $46

Accommodation & Living

Tagbilaran City

$135 21.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 120% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagbilaran City

$118 19%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 19.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tagbilaran City

$80 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 35% $28

Eating Out

Tagbilaran City

$76 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 3.5% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Tagbilaran City

$18 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 176% $32

Getting Around

Tagbilaran City

$3.8 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1517% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $190 in Tagbilaran City versus $455 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 245% 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 $17.00 in Tagbilaran City versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $235 – making Tagbilaran City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagbilaran City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

1 h behind Tagbilaran City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,411

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 22, 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 22, 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

Tagbilaran City Chiang Mai 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tagbilaran City
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

Tagbilaran City vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 49% more than Tagbilaran City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $930 per month in Tagbilaran City and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tagbilaran City, 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 $17.00 in Tagbilaran City and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 Tagbilaran City, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Tagbilaran City 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. Tagbilaran City costs $620 versus $925 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 Tagbilaran City. 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.