Chiang Mai vs Ubud

Cost of living and a cost-only FI reference estimate, side by side.

Weighing Chiang Mai against Ubud? Compare cost of living and a cost-only FI estimate, plus livability and generic visa and tax-residency signals. The timeline excludes taxes, eligibility, FX, inflation and sequence risk.

Chiang Mai vs Ubud, key cost and quality-of-life metrics
Metric Chiang Mai Ubud Edge
Monthly cost $950/mo $750/mo Ubud
Cost-only years estimate 12.8 yrs 13.5 yrs Ubud
Burn reduction 53% 63% Ubud
Tax context Low Low —
Visa context Easy Easy —
Safety 3 3 —
Internet 60 Mbps 30 Mbps Chiang Mai

The verdict

  • Ubud is about 21% cheaper per month ($750/mo vs $950/mo).
  • Ubud leads the cost-only model by about 0.7 years.
  • In the cost-only model, Ubud ranks ahead. Taxes, visas, FX, inflation and sequence risk are excluded.

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Illustrative cost-only screening estimate for one fixed reference profile (a US remote worker earning $90,000/yr and spending $45,000/yr). Taxes and treaties, visa eligibility and costs, FX, local inflation, and sequence-of-returns risk are excluded from the timeline and reference cost order. Tax and visa context requires a personal check. Do not use this as an after-tax FIRE, legal-eligibility, financial, tax, or immigration decision.