Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taguig City and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,123 in Taguig City, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taguig City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

54

Cost of Living Index in Taguig City
Learn more

Taguig City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Taguig City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,123

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,123 per month in Taguig City vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Taguig City $1,123
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Taguig City vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Taguig City $1,737
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,352 per month in Taguig City vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Taguig City $2,352
Chiang Mai $1,979

Taguig City costs about 20% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Taguig City and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Taguig City 18% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱248

$2.24 ฿75.7

73.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.67 ₱1,704

$19.00 ฿642

40.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.18 ₱203

$5.55 ฿188

-42.70%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱161

$1.67 ฿56.6

50.90%

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

$0.72 ₱45.72

$0.64 ฿21.56

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱27.83

$0.31 ฿10.32

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.9

$2.36 ฿79.6

-49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₱146

$3.66 ฿124

-37.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱117

$1.95 ฿65.8

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ₱88.8

$1.44 ฿48.51

-3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱52.4

$1.33 ฿45.07

-38.35%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$2.28 ฿77.1

-19.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.91 ₱314

$16.45 ฿556

-70.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 ₱293

$2.78 ฿94.0

64.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 ₱497

$9.31 ฿314

-16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.35 ฿79.5

-6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱116

$0.97 ฿32.82

86.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 ₱179

$1.60 ฿53.9

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ₱66.5

$1.50 ฿50.7

-30.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱110

$1.28 ฿43.15

33.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ₱168

$1.10 ฿37.22

140.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₱98.8

$0.71 ฿23.84

118.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱35.06

$0.49 ฿16.38

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₱185

$4.14 ฿140

-29.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 ₱546

$17.52 ฿592

-51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₱81.8

$1.61 ฿54.5

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₱131

$2.78 ฿94.0

-26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.58

$0.87 ฿29.33

-73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.12 ₱838

$54.1 ฿1,827

-75.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 ₱45.35

$1.16 ฿39.08

-38.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.36

$0.53 ฿17.82

-54.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.42 ฿81.8

-21.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱75.7

$1.45 ฿48.93

-18.62%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

0.09%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-29.77%

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

$109 ₱6,942

$62.2 ฿2,100

74.76%

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

$15.74 ₱1,005

$12.17 ฿411

29.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.38 ₱1,494

$20.12 ฿680

16.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.06 ₱1,857

$37.31 ฿1,260

-22.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ₱415

$6.49 ฿219

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

$129 ₱8,266

$736 ฿24.9K

-82.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,655 ₱553.0K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-41.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.18 ₱2,631

$53.4 ฿1,802

-22.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.19 ₱1,737

$24.64 ฿832

10.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 ₱4,266

$91.5 ฿3,089

-27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.8 ₱3,626

$71.9 ฿2,429

-21.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 ₱52.6K

$482 ฿16.3K

70.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ₱35.3K

$309 ฿10.4K

78.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,346 ₱213.8K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

232.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 ₱72.0K

$633 ฿21.4K

77.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 ₱337.0K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

123.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,423 ₱218.7K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

115.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$462 ₱29.5K

$590 ฿19.9K

-21.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

5.57

22.62%

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

Last update for Taguig City: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taguig City

$552 49.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 44% $243

Groceries & Markets

Taguig City

$193 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 21.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taguig City

$148 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 36.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Taguig City

$86 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 25.8% $22

Eating Out

Taguig City

$86 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 9.8% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Taguig City

$42 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 19.6% $8.2

Getting Around

Taguig City

$16 1.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 285% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $823 in Taguig City 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 28% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Taguig City versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Taguig City vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Taguig City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Taguig City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

06:15 6:15 AM

1 h behind Taguig City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,397

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 = 2.66 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taguig City Chiang Mai 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Taguig 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

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

Taguig City costs about 20% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,684 per month in Taguig City 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 $823 in Taguig City.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Taguig City and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Taguig City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,123 in Taguig City and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,123 in Taguig City. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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