The eternal dilemma for expats moving to Thailand.
Beyond the alternative and perhaps less desirable destinations such as Hua Hin or Pattaya, most expats choose to set up base in either Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
I have started in Bangkok and am moving to Chiang Mai after a few extended long trips after much consideration and mentally going back and forth.
Anyhow, I’ll breakdown all of my considerations here to help you make up your mind.
DISCLAIMER: Phuket is not mentioned as an option here as I’m not a huge fan overall and haven’t spent enough time there to write a guide for it.
Chiang Mai
Weather
Chiang Mai weather is a bit cooler than the south generally speaking and can actually feel a bit cold at night especially during winter and in the mountains.
That being said, everywhere in Thailand gets hot and especially during April, but living in Chiang Mai can help take the edge off.
November to Januray is typically the best weather in Thailand generally.[1]
| Month | Average High (°C) | Average Low (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 30.0 | 15.1 |
| February | 32.9 | 16.3 |
| March | 35.4 | 19.6 |
| April | 36.7 | 22.9 |
| May | 34.7 | 23.8 |
| June | 33.2 | 24.1 |
| July | 32.2 | 23.9 |
| August | 31.6 | 23.7 |
| September | 32.0 | 23.4 |
| October | 31.8 | 22.2 |
| November | 30.9 | 19.3 |
| December | 29.3 | 16.3 |
City Size
Chiang Mai is the capitol of the Northern region and is the local economic hub.
The city population sits around 1.2 million if we include the surrounding urban areas whereas the population for the entire province sits around 1.8 million people. [2]
This estimate seems high but is including nearby urban places like Chiang Dao and the suburbs around the city itself. I would say the city feels more like a population of 400,000 or so when you’re living there.
Enough people so there is always something to do, but not nearly as hectic as the 11 million in Bangkok.
Housing Options and Price
Chiang Mai has less high rise condos with nice amenities than Bangkok. It’s really not comparable in this regard.
That being said, you can live in desirable areas of Chiang Mai like Nimman in a decent apartment for like 8,000 to 10,000 baht a month.
This is much much cheaper than living in a desirable, central area of Bangkok like Asok where you will usually start around 18,000 baht a month for lower quality rooms away from the BTS (the biggest public transport vein in Bangkok).
Chiang Mai also offers very affordable houses to be rented for anywhere from 8,000 to 25,000 baht a month depending on size, quality, and location.
Though a cheaper house will be further from the city and most likely in a suburb.
Check out popular Facebook groups for the best deals. Simply search “chiang mai rent” and many active groups will come up.
There is one caveat here and that is you can live in Bangkok for really any price you want including extremely cheaply is good accomodation if you are willing to not be in the center. Bang Na and Lad Prao for instance, offer cheap and good condos.
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Things to Do
Chiang Mai doesn’t have the night clubs of Bangkok or the beaches of Phuket or the islands.
There is nightlife of course that is largely centered in Old Town (inside the old walls of the city) but it pales compared to the vibrancy and options in Bangkok.
However, Chiang Mai offers access to nature and hikes that is virtually non-existent in Bangkok beyond the parks. The concrete jungle of Bangkok wears on you after awhile.
Otherwise, the two cities will have access to the same sort of amentities like sports center, nice chill bars, lovely cafes, meet-up groups and more.
Oh and I guess it is worth mentioning that there is much much less access to naughty nightlife in Chiang Mai. It exists, but it is small and unpopular. I think this is a good thing as the sex tourists won’t come to Chiang Mai and it makes the expat crowd a bit less seedy.
Dating Scene
Chiang Mai has a dearth of professional working single people outside of the expat population which can be transient and small so dating can be frustrating.
One good thing is that the town is small enough that you can drive across it in 20 minutes so meeting up with someone is always easy and convenient.
In terms of optionality, Bangkok definitely wins out here, but just remember that a bad dating market doesn’t really mean that much because you just need one compatible person.
Lifestyle
Chiang Mai is much less busy than Bangkok and offers a more chilled out vibe in general.
There isn’t always something else to do and someone else to meet so people aren’t so much in a rush. There also aren’t so many professional office workers based in Chiang Mai as most companies have offices in the capitol.
This makes the pace of life slower which fits some people but is grating and boring for others.
Best Neighborhoods
Nimman
Nimman is the most popular and most walkable area that isn’t completely overrun with tourists. This area sits just to the North West of the old city walls and is nearby Chiang Mai University and Doi Suthep. There are frequent airplane noises though, but most people stop noticing it after some time.
Santitham
North of the old walls is also a nice area called Santitham which is just next to Nimman. This area is a bit less trendy, more quiet, and more Thai than Nimman, but it is still close to everything and also very cheap.
This is my choice of a place to stay.
Jed Yod
This neighborhood is just beyond Nimman, Maya Mall, and a main highway artery and is a great local neighborhood with cheap prices.
The only issue is that driving on the highway with a motorbike kind of sucks and you really can’t easily cross the motorway on foot.
Otherwise, this area is a good choice for a local, cheaper experience that is also close enough to everything.
Other Neighborhoods
I’m not mentioning Old Town because I don’t recommend living here as it’s too packed with tourists and every weekend on Sunday they have a large market that makes driving a pain.
Otherwise, I would avoid east of the old walls near the Ping river and also avoid living south of the old walls because these are flood areas which is a significant issue in the rainy season.
Last October (in 2024) there was one of the largest floods in recent history and many people had significant damage to their homes and belongings.[4]
You can live further out of the city too but I don’t have the experience to share anything about the more “out of the way” neighborhoods.
Air Pollution
This is the largest issue with living in Chiang Mai and has been the biggest factor in my hesitancy to move there full-time.
The air quality in Chiang Mai is downright hazardous for roughly 3 months of the calandar year from mid-February to Early May. [3]
This causes the expats living in Chiang Mai to typically travel away during this time of the year. Digital nomads will often come for just the winter and say things like this is “our 3rd season in Chiang Mai”.
If you are financially able, don’t have children, and are adventurous then having three months of the year scheduled to go live in the South, try different countries, or visit family back home isn’t that bad.
Just be prepared to upend you routine every year for a few months.
Bangkok
Weather
Bangkok is … pretty much always hot.
It’s normal to say that Bangkok has three seasons; hot, hot and wet, and very hot.
April is the worst month with an average high of 35°C. I actually first arrived in Thailand and Bangkok in April and thought that I made a horrible mistake. [5]
Luckily, the temperatures go down slightly during “winter” but you’ll still sweat during the day. Just accept it.
Chiang Mai is definitely superior weather wise.
| Month | Average High (°C) | Average Low (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 32 | 21 |
| February | 33 | 23 |
| March | 34 | 25 |
| April | 35 | 26 |
| May | 34 | 26 |
| June | 33 | 26 |
| July | 33 | 25 |
| August | 32 | 25 |
| September | 32 | 25 |
| October | 32 | 24 |
| November | 32 | 23 |
| December | 31 | 21 |
City Size
Bangkok is sprawling and massive.
It takes more than an hour to go from one side to the other depending on the mode of transport.
The city’s population is over 11 million people and there are more if we include the neighboring towns and suburbs. [6]
There is also a near constant buzz of travelers from all over the world as Thailand is the biggest destination for travel in all of Asia. You really feel the hecticness of the city and you can go out and do something at any hour of the day.
Traffic jams are an everyday occurence and public transport becomes crowded at rush hour as well.
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Housing Options and Price
Bangkok has every sort of housing option available except maybe houses in the most metropolitan areas like Siam and Asok.
Along the main public transport arteries of BTS and MRT are the most expensive areas of the city to rent although you can still find nice housing next to the BTS/MRT if you go a bit further from the center. This means towards Pathonin 24 and further north. Or Onnut and further south. Or really anywhere west of the Chao Phraya River.
More central one-bedroom condos will start around 15,000 baht a month for the lowest end places and go up to 30,000 baht a month and more for nicer spots.
If you go somewhere cheaper along the BTS/MRT like I mentioned then you can find places for 8,000 baht a month to 15,000 baht a month.
Paying more than 15,000 when the area isn’t very central is a bad deal unless it’s a 2-bedroom place.
Things to Do
Everything is readily available except hiking and beaches.
Also if you play a sport other than basketball, then you liekly will need to rent space to play somewhere. There just aren’t many open fields that can just be used without reservation.
But when it comes to restaurants, shopping, bars, clubs, and events then nothing in Thailand compares to Bangkok.
Also the social scene in Bangkok is by far the most energetic and abundant as far as people to meet and groups to join goes. Meetup (.com) has events everyday across the city and there are countless little communities and gathering spaces.
Though I always felt that it was easy to meet people in Bangkok but harder to get close as there is just always so many options and things to do.
Dating Scene
I won’t write too much here, but let’s keep it simple.
Bangkok has a much better dating scene in terms of number of single working professionals compared to Chiang Mai.
It can be annoying to match someone on a dating app and then find out they live on the other side of the city so meeting is difficult. You won’t have this issue in Chiang Mai.
The social and dating scene in Chiang Mai is much more alternative than Bangkok and typically expat men have better luck dating in Thailand than expat women in my anecdotal experience.
Lifestyle
The Bangkok style can be as fast-paced or chilled out as you want. It’s really up to you and your friends.
Go drinking and party any night of the week or stay in your local neighborhood and just meet your buddies at the low-key and casual bar.
You can meet party-oriented people, startup founders who are hustling each day, calm and family-oriented people, sex tourists, artists, and everyone in-between.
It’s also really easy to get cheap flights out from Bangkok to pretty much anywhere so many expats punctuate their Bangkok lifestyle with frequent travel to places like Vietnam, Macau, and Bali.
Best Neighborhoods
This is subjective and there are so many neighborhoods to mention that I will limit to my own personal favorites.
Punnawithi/Udom Suk
This is perhaps my favorite area in Bangkok after moving around a few times.
Punnawithi and Udom Suk are two BTS stations a bit south from Bangkok that have great amenities like True Digital Park, great condos to select from like Elio Del Nest, and also has a host of chill and cheap bars like Yellow Roof and Hunter’s Garden.
The areas have plenty of options for restaurants and it isn’t crowded all the time like more central Bangkok. Tourists also typically don’t come down this far from the city center which is a big plus for me.
You can also easily head down to Bang Ka Chao which is the “green lung of Bangkok” which is a great little nature spot. Ride the boat for 6 baht at Wat Bang Na Nok to get there.
Lad Prao
Lad Prao is a huge area so understand that I’m referring to areas ranging from BTS Ha Yaek Lat Phrao (which is the priciest spot to rent but for good reason) to BTS Ratchayothin and MRT Lad Prao.
Lad Prao is a great place to live in Bangkok because you have easy access to nature, cheap and trendy bars, casual night markets, new malls, and are also near to international schools if you have a family. Additionally, tourists usually don’t come to this area.
You’re close to Chatuchak and Rot Fai Park which are argueably the best parks in Bangkok. You’re also next to Suan Mokh which is a lovely Buddhist temple with a cafe and free open-air coworking space which means you have access to nature that is severely lacking in most of the city.
There are also one of the best malls in the city in Central Ladprao and night markets like Green Vintage Market and Jodd’s Fair within walking distance. Mix in some well-priced and trendy bars like Method to My Madness and you’ve got a winner.
BTS Ha Yaek Lat Phrao can be a pricey place to rent because it has BTS and MRT access but prices quickly become reasonable just a station or two further.
Honorable Mentions
I left off mostof the areas in Bangkok because it needs to be a while separate post. I realized after writing the Lad Prao and Punnawithi/Udom Suk sections that this article would be too long if I include all the areas I like.
Air Pollution
The air in Bangkok is meh.
The air quality in Bangkok is worst in January and February but it is generally passable enough to not be noticable for most of the year.
Summer time has very clean and nice air.
However, Bangkok, like Chiang Mai, is affected by burning season and you will get some bad air days that go up to like 170 or 180 AQI. Make sure you have an air purifier in your condo and wear a mask outside when it’s bad. [7]
Comparison Chart
| Bangkok | Chiang Mai | |
| Social Life | 10 | 6 |
| Cost of Living | 6 | 8 |
| Access to Nature | 4 | 8 |
| Air Quality | 6 | 3 |
| Dating Scene | 10 | 5 |
| Total Scores |
Additional Questions
Is Phuket a good place to live?
I left off Phuket from this article for a few reasons.
First of all, Phuket has become the most expensive place in the country to live and is filled with tourists.
Second of all, I haven’t spent any real extended time there so I’m not fully qualified to write about it.
Those are the main reasons that I never considered living in Phuket, but some people do happily live there. Even in the biggest and most expensive of cities, you can find cheap rents and quiet spots, but realistically you will need to spend more money and time before you can find an affordable and desirable place to live.
It is also worth noting that the natural beauty of Phuket is stunning and the island generally has the most consistently clean air in Thailand.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this will help you make up your mind about where to live in Thailand.
I initially lived in Bangkok and eventually decided to move to Chiang Mai after about 3 years in the city.
Bangkok is great, but the city can wear you out. I would recommend not living in the center unless you really love the hectic nature of big cities.
But if you are more chilled out and value access to nature, then Chiang Mai might be the best choice.
Good luck!