Chiang MaivsKoh Lanta
💰
Chiang Mai saves you $1,050/month
51% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
Koh Lanta has 2x faster internet
150 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
Koh Lanta
Total Budget
$1,000/mo ✓
$2,050/mo
Rent (1BR)
$350/mo ✓
$900/mo
Coworking
$120/mo ✓
$220/mo
Meal Out
$3
$3
Coffee
$2.5
$2.5
Chiang Mai is $1,050/mo cheaper (51% 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
🇹🇭 Koh Lanta
📶 Internet150 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🌡️ 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
Koh Lanta
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days227/year
Best months: January, February, March, December
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
22°27°
Apr
30°28°
Jul
27°28°
Oct
26°27°
Chiang MaiKoh Lanta
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
🇹🇭Koh Lanta
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,000
Winner$2,050
📶
Internet Speed
75 Mbps
150 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4.3/5
Winner3.8/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.7/10
Winner4/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
6/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
5/10
👥
Community
very large
Winnermedium
4
Chiang Mai wins
vs
1
Koh Lanta wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Chiang Mai
$1050/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Koh Lanta
150 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Chiang Mai
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Chiang Mai
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉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
🇹🇭Koh Lanta
Pros
- +Tropical island lifestyle with long sandy beaches, sunsets and laid-back vibe
- +Lower cost of living than Western cities while still offering decent infrastructure and healthcare access
- +Established digital nomad community centred around KoHub, COWORX and other workspaces
- +Fast fibre internet available via Thai ISPs, with 1 Gbps at KoHub and strong 4G/5G coverage in popular areas
Cons
- −Rainy season from May to October can bring frequent showers, choppy seas and occasional power or internet hiccups
- −You usually need a scooter or tuk-tuk to get around as beaches and villages are spread out
- −Infrastructure is more limited than mainland hubs – fewer malls, hospitals and cultural venues
- −Some areas are very seasonal, with venues closing or running reduced hours in green season
