Chiang Mai vs Phuket
💰
Chiang Mai saves you $800/month
📶
Phuket has 1x faster internet
🌡️
Tropical Monsoon vs Tropical Wet climate
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Chiang Mai
Phuket
Total Budget
$1,000/mo ✓
$1,800/mo
Rent (1BR)
$350/mo ✓
$550/mo
Coworking
$120/mo
$100/mo ✓
Meal Out
$3
$2 ✓
Coffee
$2.5 ✓
$3
Chiang Mai is $800/mo cheaper (44% 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
🇹🇭 Phuket
📶 Internet100 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
Phuket
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp28°C
Rainy Days225/year
Best months: February, January, March
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
22°27°
Apr
30°29°
Jul
27°28°
Oct
26°27°
Chiang MaiPhuket
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
🇹🇭Phuket
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,000
Winner$1,800
📶
Internet Speed
75 Mbps
100 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4.3/5
Winner3.8/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.7/10
Winner4/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
9/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
8/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
Winner4/10
👥
Community
very large
large
4
Chiang Mai wins
vs
1
Phuket wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Chiang Mai
$800/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
🇹🇭Phuket
Pros
- +Beautiful beaches with crystal-clear waters
- +Excellent Thai food at affordable prices
- +Fast fiber internet and 5G coverage
- +Destination Thailand Visa for long-term stays
Cons
- −Scams common in tourist areas
- −Transportation difficult without scooter
- −Taxi mafia with inflated prices
- −Tourist areas very crowded