Chiang Mai vs Koh Phangan
💰
Chiang Mai saves you $300/month
📶
Chiang Mai has 2x faster internet
🌡️
Tropical Monsoon vs Tropical Wet climate
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Chiang Mai
Koh Phangan
Total Budget
$1,000/mo ✓
$1,300/mo
Rent (1BR)
$350/mo ✓
$500/mo
Coworking
$120/mo
$100/mo ✓
Meal Out
$3
$3
Coffee
$2.5 ✓
$3
Chiang Mai is $300/mo cheaper (23% 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 Phangan
📶 Internet50 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
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 Phangan
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days210/year
Best months: March, April, January, February
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
22°24°
Apr
30°27°
Jul
27°26°
Oct
26°25°
Chiang MaiKoh Phangan
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
🇹🇭Koh Phangan
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,000
Winner$1,300
📶
Internet Speed
75 Mbps
Winner50 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
4.3/5
4/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.7/10
Winner4/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
9/10
Winner🚶
Walkability
6/10
5/10
👥
Community
very large
Winnermedium
4
Chiang Mai wins
vs
1
Koh Phangan wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Chiang Mai
$300/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻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
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Koh Phangan
World-famous nightlife scene
🇹🇭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 Phangan
Pros
- +World-famous Full Moon Party and vibrant nightlife scene every month
- +Stunning tropical beaches with crystal clear turquoise water
- +Very affordable cost of living especially for long-term stays
- +Thriving yoga and wellness community with retreats everywhere
Cons
- −Scooter is essential as there is no real public transport
- −Internet can be unreliable in remote jungle areas
- −Full Moon Party weeks bring chaos and higher prices
- −Monsoon season from September to November brings heavy rains