Chiang RaivsSurat Thani
📶
Surat Thani has 2x faster internet
50 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 Rai
Surat Thani
Total Budget
$850/mo
$650/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$230/mo
$190/mo ✓
Coworking
$90/mo
$55/mo ✓
Meal Out
$2
$2
Coffee
$1.75 ✓
$1.8
Surat Thani is $200/mo cheaper (31% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇹🇭 Chiang Rai
📶 Internet24 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 Rai
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp25°C
Rainy Days168/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
20°26°
Apr
28°29°
Jul
26°27°
Oct
25°26°
Chiang RaiSurat Thani
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Chiang Rai
🇹🇭Surat Thani
💰
Monthly Budget
$850
$650
Winner📶
Internet Speed
24 Mbps
50 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4.2/5
Winner3.8/5
⭐
Nomad Score
3.8/10
3.5/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
3/10
4/10
🚶
Walkability
5/10
5/10
👥
Community
small
small
1
Chiang Rai wins
vs
2
Surat Thani wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Surat Thani
$200/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 Rai
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇹🇭Chiang Rai
Pros
- +Extremely affordable cost of living - 10-20% cheaper than Chiang Mai
- +Very safe city with low crime and friendly locals
- +World-class temples: White, Blue, and Black House
- +Amazing local food scene with authentic Northern Thai cuisine
Cons
- −Limited coworking spaces compared to Chiang Mai
- −Smaller digital nomad community
- −Internet can be slower and less reliable
- −Limited nightlife options
🇹🇭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
