Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, Thailand
A northern city with a long-established remote-working community and costs well below Bangkok. Air quality deteriorates sharply during the February to April burning season.
- Population
- 130,000
- Climate
- tropical
- Typical download speed
- 200 Mbit/s
- One-bed, city centre
- THB 8,000 – THB 18K
- One-bed, outside centre
- THB 5,000 – THB 11K
- Monthly budget, one adult
- THB 30K – THB 60K
Indicative
Getting around
Limited public transport; most residents use a motorbike or ride-hailing.
What people work in here
- Tourism
- Handicrafts
- Education
Cost of living
We do not hold a Chiang Mai cost series, so this is the Thailand country-wide estimate. Use the rent figures above for the local picture.
| Category | Monthly range |
|---|---|
| Housing | THB 8,000 – THB 25,000 |
| Food | THB 8,000 – THB 20,000 |
| Utilities | THB 1,500 – THB 4,500 |
| Internet | THB 600 – THB 1,200 |
| Transport | THB 1,000 – THB 4,000 |
| Healthcare | THB 2,000 – THB 8,000 |
| Everything else | THB 5,000 – THB 15,000 |
| Total | THB 26,100 – THB 77,700 |
| Suggested monthly buffer | THB 93,240 |
Modelled from a baseline for one adult and scaled, not sampled from households. Figures are shown as ranges because that is the honest shape of the data.
Worth knowing. Modelled estimate. The spread between a local and an imported lifestyle is wider in Thailand than in most countries, which is why the lifestyle multipliers are unusually far apart. International school fees are a large separate cost.
Immigration
Immigration is decided nationally, not by city. Which routes are open to you, what they require and how long they take are all on the Thailand guide.
Worth knowing. Modelled estimates, not survey data.