Chiang MaivsManila
💰
Chiang Mai saves you $500/month
33% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
Manila has 1x faster internet
100 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Tropical Monsoon vs Tropical Wet climate
Different weather patterns year-round
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Chiang Mai
Manila
Total Budget
$1,000/mo ✓
$1,500/mo
Rent (1BR)
$350/mo ✓
$500/mo
Coworking
$120/mo
$100/mo ✓
Meal Out
$3
$3
Coffee
$2.5
$2 ✓
Chiang Mai is $500/mo cheaper (33% 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
🇵🇭 Manila
📶 Internet100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+8
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
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
Manila
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp28°C
Rainy Days231/year
Best months: February, March, January
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
22°26°
Apr
30°30°
Jul
27°28°
Oct
26°27°
Chiang MaiManila
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
🇵🇭Manila
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,000
Winner$1,500
📶
Internet Speed
75 Mbps
100 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4.3/5
Winner3.2/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.7/10
Winner3.8/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
8/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
6/10
👥
Community
very large
large
3
Chiang Mai wins
vs
1
Manila wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Chiang Mai
$500/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️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
🇵🇭Manila
Pros
- +Extremely affordable cost of living - one of the cheapest in Asia
- +High English proficiency - easy communication everywhere
- +Vibrant nightlife scene especially in Poblacion and BGC
- +Excellent Filipino hospitality and welcoming culture
Cons
- −Heavy traffic congestion - among worst in the world
- −Air pollution and waste management issues in some areas
- −Petty crime and pickpocketing in crowded areas
- −Hot and humid climate year-round with typhoon season
