Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarlac City and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $523 per month in Tarlac City vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tarlac City $523
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $801 per month in Tarlac City vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tarlac City $801
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,080 per month in Tarlac City vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tarlac City $1,080
Chiang Mai $1,979

Tarlac City is about 44% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tarlac City and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tarlac City 62% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 ₱127

$2.24 ฿75.6

-11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.94 ₱506

$19.00 ฿641

-58.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.67 ₱170

$5.55 ฿187

-51.89%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₱116

$1.67 ฿56.5

8.98%

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

$0.48 ₱30.72

$0.64 ฿21.55

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.15

$0.31 ฿10.31

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ₱60.6

$2.36 ฿79.6

-59.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱100

$3.66 ฿124

-56.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.95 ฿65.8

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱72.0

$1.44 ฿48.48

-21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.1

$1.33 ฿45.04

-24.06%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱123

$2.28 ฿77.1

-15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.95 ₱315

$16.45 ฿555

-69.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 ₱171

$2.78 ฿93.9

-3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 ₱405

$9.31 ฿314

-31.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₱100

$2.35 ฿79.4

-33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.4

$0.97 ฿32.80

55.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.60 ฿53.9

25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.50 ฿50.6

-32.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱109

$1.28 ฿43.12

33.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₱75.5

$1.10 ฿37.19

8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₱41.80

$0.71 ฿23.82

-7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.32

$0.49 ฿16.37

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱189

$4.14 ฿140

-28.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.72 ₱237

$17.52 ฿591

-78.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.9

$1.61 ฿54.5

-44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₱97.1

$2.78 ฿94.0

-45.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.31

$0.87 ฿29.31

-72.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.05 ₱513

$54.1 ฿1,826

-85.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.49

$1.16 ฿39.06

-35.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.93

$0.53 ฿17.80

-58.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ₱82.7

$2.42 ฿81.8

-46.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱71.0

$1.45 ฿48.90

-23.45%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

0.82%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-29.46%

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

$87.4 ₱5,565

$62.2 ฿2,098

40.55%

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

$5.34 ₱340

$12.17 ฿411

-56.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.23 ₱1,480

$20.12 ฿679

15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.36 ₱2,507

$37.31 ฿1,259

5.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 ₱1,014

$3.77 ฿127

322.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 ₱326

$6.49 ฿219

-21.26%

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

$130 ₱8,272

$736 ฿24.8K

-82.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₱669.1K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-28.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 ₱1,829

$53.4 ฿1,801

-46.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.79 ₱1,197

$24.64 ฿831

-23.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ₱3,947

$91.5 ฿3,087

-32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.50 ₱3,025

$71.9 ฿2,428

-33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$87.2 ₱5,555

$482 ฿16.3K

-81.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.5 ₱4,492

$309 ฿10.4K

-77.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ₱10.4K

$633 ฿21.4K

-74.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$370 ₱23.5K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-84.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$284 ₱18.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-82.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$208 ₱13.3K

$590 ฿19.9K

-64.71%

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 Tarlac City: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tarlac City

$148 28.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 58% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tarlac City

$116 22.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 18.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Tarlac City

$71 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 53.8% $38

Accommodation & Living

Tarlac City

$71 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 338% $238

Eating Out

Tarlac City

$57 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 36.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Tarlac City

$50 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 1.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Tarlac City

$11 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 466% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $87 in Tarlac 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 in Chiang Mai are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8 in Tarlac City versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $234 – making Tarlac City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h behind Tarlac City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

385,398

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 = 2.65 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tarlac City Chiang Mai 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tarlac 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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 79% more than Tarlac 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 $784 per month in Tarlac 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 Tarlac City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $87 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Tarlac City and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tarlac City, where all-in costs run around $523, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Tarlac City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tarlac City – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Tarlac City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.