Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Chiang Mai is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: getting around โ Bohol 4 vs Chiang Mai 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Bohol | Chiang Mai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 250$4.39 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Chiang Mai โ45% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 60$1.05 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Bohol โ31% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 450$7.89 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Bohol โ35% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 160$2.81 | เธฟ 75$2.27 | Chiang Mai โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 100$1.75 | เธฟ 85$2.58 | Bohol โ32% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 250$4.39 | เธฟ 180$5.45 | Bohol โ20% |
| Bottled water | โฑ 22$0.39 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | Chiang Mai โ21% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 45$0.79 | เธฟ 20$0.61 | Chiang Mai โ23% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 150$2.63 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Bohol โ13% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 80$1.4 | เธฟ 60$1.82 | Bohol โ23% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 15$0.26 | เธฟ 30$0.91 | Bohol โ71% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 350$6.14 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Bohol โ19% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 2,800$49.1 | เธฟ 1,100$33.3 | Chiang Mai โ32% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 15,000$263 | เธฟ 10,500$318 | Bohol โ17% |
| Laundry | โฑ 60$1.05 | เธฟ 35$1.06 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 500$8.77 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 100$1.75 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Bohol โ61% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 500$8.77 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Chiang Mai โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 700$12.3 | เธฟ 800$24.2 | Bohol โ49% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 100$1.75 | เธฟ 145$4.39 | Bohol โ60% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Chiang Mai is 11% cheaper than Bohol. Daily budget $82.4 vs $66.9; a month $1,284 vs $1,232.
Chiang Mai is easier: Chiang Mai 2.4/5 vs Bohol 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bohol is about $1,284 and Chiang Mai about $1,232 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.