Canggu (Bali) vs Chiang Mai
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Chiang Mai edges it, 54 to 49, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Canggu (Bali) is stronger on air quality; Chiang Mai on visa ease, healthcare, internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 65 | 68 ✓ |
| Safety | 50 ✓ | 48 |
| Healthcare | 53 | 74 ✓ |
| Internet | 49 | 59 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 22 | 65 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 9 ✓ | 9 |
| Climate | 67 ✓ | 58 |
| Air quality | 85 ✓ | 52 |
| Quality of life | 45 | 49 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,042 | $984 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $897 | $417 ✓ |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.1 ✓ | 4.4 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.5 ✓ | 54.2 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 82 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 yrs | 75.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 17.9 Mbps | 28 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 9.4 Mbps | 16.5 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,998/mo | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | 60 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | 60 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | 60 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 65 ✓ | 28 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 ✓ | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 26.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Canggu (Bali) or Chiang Mai?
- Chiang Mai is cheaper: about $984 per month versus $1,042 for one person.
- Is Canggu (Bali) or Chiang Mai safer?
- Canggu (Bali) scores higher on safety (50 vs 48), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Canggu (Bali) or Chiang Mai?
- Chiang Mai: a measured median of 28 Mbps versus 17.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Canggu (Bali) vs Ubud (Bali)
- Canggu (Bali) vs Yogyakarta
- Chiang Mai vs Quito
- Chiang Mai vs Guayaquil
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.