Krabi vs Chiang Mai
📶
Krabi has 2x faster internet
🌡️
Tropical Wet vs Tropical Monsoon climate
🛂
Thailand offers a digital nomad visa
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Krabi
Chiang Mai
Total Budget
$1,200/mo
$1,000/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$600/mo
$350/mo ✓
Coworking
$180/mo
$120/mo ✓
Meal Out
$3
$3
Coffee
$2.5
$2.5
Chiang Mai is $200/mo cheaper (20% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇹🇭 Krabi
📶 Internet150 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
📶 Internet75 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Krabi
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days246/year
Best months: February, January, March
Chiang Mai
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days175/year
Best months: March, April, January, February
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
27°22°
Apr
28°30°
Jul
28°27°
Oct
27°26°
KrabiChiang Mai
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇹🇭Krabi
🇹🇭Chiang Mai
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,200
$1,000
Winner📶
Internet Speed
150 Mbps
Winner75 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.8/5
4.3/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
4/10
4.7/10
Winner🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
9/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
7/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
6/10
👥
Community
medium
very large
Winner1
Krabi wins
vs
4
Chiang Mai wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Chiang Mai
$200/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Krabi
150 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋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
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇹🇭Krabi
Pros
- +Lower cost of living than major Western cities while still offering good infrastructure
- +Access to spectacular beaches, limestone cliffs and islands within short boat rides
- +Warm tropical climate with excellent winter weather and plenty of sunshine
- +Fast national internet backbone with decent fibre and strong 4G/5G coverage in town
Cons
- −Spread-out geography means you often need a scooter, tuk-tuk or taxi rather than walking everywhere
- −Rainy season from May to October can bring frequent showers and occasional storms
- −Area is highly tourist-oriented, so some parts feel crowded and prices rise in high season
- −Limited big-city cultural offerings compared with Bangkok or Chiang Mai
🇹🇭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