Chiang MaivsEl Nido
📶
Chiang Mai has 2x faster internet
75 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Tropical Monsoon vs Tropical Wet climate
Different weather patterns year-round
🛂
Thailand offers a digital nomad visa
Long-stay visa for remote workers
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Chiang Mai
El Nido
Total Budget
$1,000/mo ✓
$1,100/mo
Rent (1BR)
$350/mo ✓
$400/mo
Coworking
$120/mo
$120/mo
Meal Out
$3 ✓
$4
Coffee
$2.5
$2 ✓
Chiang Mai is $100/mo cheaper (9% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
📶 Internet75 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇵🇭 El Nido
📶 Internet50 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+8
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London3h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Chiang Mai
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days175/year
Best months: March, April, January, February
El Nido
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days245/year
Best months: February, March, April
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
22°26°
Apr
30°28°
Jul
27°27°
Oct
26°27°
Chiang MaiEl Nido
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
🇵🇭El Nido
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,000
$1,100
📶
Internet Speed
75 Mbps
Winner50 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
4.3/5
4.3/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.7/10
Winner4.2/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
Winner7/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
6/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
6/10
👥
Community
very large
Winnersmall
4
Chiang Mai wins
vs
0
El Nido wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Either works
Similar costs - choose based on other factors
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Chiang Mai
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Chiang Mai
Better food scene with incredible variety
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
Pros
- +Very affordable cost of living ($600-1,200/month)
- +Large digital nomad community
- +Excellent coworking spaces (Punspace, CAMP)
- +Amazing Thai food everywhere
Cons
- −Air quality issues (Mar-Apr burning season)
- −Very hot and humid (Mar-May)
- −Heavy rainy season (Jun-Oct)
- −Limited international flights
🇵🇭El Nido
Pros
- +World-class island hopping with stunning lagoons and beaches
- +Incredibly beautiful limestone cliffs and turquoise waters
- +Excellent diving and snorkeling with vibrant marine life
- +Growing coworking scene with fast fiber internet options
Cons
- −Internet can be unreliable outside coworking spaces
- −Remote location - 5-6 hour drive from Puerto Princesa airport
- −Limited healthcare - serious issues require evacuation
- −Power outages still occur occasionally
