Side by side

San José vs Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai wins on more metrics — 3–5 on the 8 core metrics we track. Detail below.

Metric

San José

Chiang Mai

Cost of living

B vs A: -54%

30✓

Rent · 1BR center

B vs A: -56%

$900

$400✓

Effective tax (remote)

B vs A: -100%

20%

0%✓

Healthcare

B vs A: -4%

75✓

Safety

B vs A: +27%

76✓

Internet

B vs A: +150%

200✓

Climate

B vs A: -15%

80✓

Freedom

B vs A: -63%

80✓

Stable, peaceful, biodiverse. Rentista and Pensionado visas plus the new digital nomad permit (Ley 9996).

Quieter, cheaper Thailand. Long-standing nomad hub with serious tradeoffs around burn-season air quality (Feb-Apr).