Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagum City and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $437 per month in Tagum City vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tagum City $437
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $541 per month in Tagum City vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tagum City $541
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $645 per month in Tagum City vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tagum City $645
Chiang Mai $1,914

Tagum City is about 53% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tagum City and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tagum City 68% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ₱346

$2.26 ฿75.4

143.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.68 ₱799

$19.18 ฿641

-33.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ₱318

$5.59 ฿187

-9.66%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$1.72 ฿57.6

33.14%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₱117

$2.36 ฿78.7

-20.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱90.9

$3.90 ฿130

-63.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$2.05 ฿68.6

-20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$2.25 ฿75.3

-16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 ₱507

$9.36 ฿313

-13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$2.40 ฿80.3

167.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$1.63 ฿54.4

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.85 ฿28.31

-70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.45 ฿48.32

-5.52%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$55.7 ₱3,506

$62.3 ฿2,083

-10.65%

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

$8.09 ₱510

$12.27 ฿410

-34.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₱1,729

$19.97 ฿668

37.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 ₱1,493

$37.91 ฿1,267

-37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 ₱206

$6.71 ฿224

-51.12%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱9,992

$464 ฿15.5K

-65.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ₱8,124

$305 ฿10.2K

-57.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₱20.3K

$915 ฿30.6K

-64.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ₱12.8K

$595 ฿19.9K

-65.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tagum City

$129 29.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 136% $176

Eating Out

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 20% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagum City

$91 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 3.7% $3.3

Groceries & Markets

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 174% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Tagum City

$30 6.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 69.7% $21

Getting Around

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 6031% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Tagum City

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $159 in Tagum City 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 193% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $87.0 vs $238 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

22:12 10:12 PM

1 h behind Tagum City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,202

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 18, 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 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Tagum City Chiang Mai 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tagum 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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 115% more than Tagum City, 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 $656 per month in Tagum City 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 Tagum City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $437 in Tagum City and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 115%.

Groceries cost about 174% 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 Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $437, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Tagum 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. Tagum City costs $437 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 Tagum 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.