Chiang Mai vs Surat Thani
💰
Surat Thani saves you $350/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
Surat Thani
Total Budget
$1,000/mo
$650/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$350/mo
$190/mo ✓
Coworking
$120/mo
$55/mo ✓
Meal Out
$3
$2 ✓
Coffee
$2.5
$1.8 ✓
Surat Thani is $350/mo cheaper (54% 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
🇹🇭 Surat Thani
📶 Internet50-100 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
Surat Thani
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days228/year
Best months: January, February, March
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
22°26°
Apr
30°29°
Jul
27°27°
Oct
26°26°
Chiang MaiSurat Thani
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
🇹🇭Surat Thani
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,000
$650
Winner📶
Internet Speed
75 Mbps
Winner50 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
4.3/5
Winner3.8/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.7/10
Winner3.5/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
Winner4/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
5/10
👥
Community
very large
Winnersmall
5
Chiang Mai wins
vs
1
Surat Thani wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Surat Thani
$350/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
Chiang Mai
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Chiang Mai
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
🇹🇭Surat Thani
Pros
- +Extremely affordable cost of living
- +Gateway to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao islands
- +Khao Sok National Park nearby
- +Authentic Thai culture without tourist crowds
Cons
- −Small digital nomad community
- −Limited coworking space options
- −Hot and humid year-round climate
- −Heavy monsoon rains May-November