Climate
Chiang Mai logs 285 hot days a year to Chon Buri's 339 — Chiang Mai wins by 54. Chon Buri also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 1.
Chiang Mai
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Chon Buri
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Chiang Mai averages $805/mo for balanced living; Chon Buri has no cost baseline yet.
Chiang Mai
$805monthly · balanced
Mobility
Chiang Mai scores 1.6 on mobility (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no mobility baseline.
Culture
Chiang Mai's culture score of 3.2 sits well above Chon Buri's 0.0.
Nature & Outdoors
Chiang Mai scores 4.2 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no nature & outdoors baseline.
Safety
Chiang Mai scores 2.4 on safety (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no safety baseline.
Career
Chiang Mai scores 1.9 on career (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no career baseline.
Social & Community
Chiang Mai scores 2.6 on social & community (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no social & community baseline.
Food & Dining
Chiang Mai scores 3.4 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no food & dining baseline.
Family
Chiang Mai scores 2.3 on family (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no family baseline.
Healthcare
Chiang Mai scores 3.4 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Chon Buri has no healthcare baseline.
Air Quality
Chiang Mai averages 32.6 µg/m³ (unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Chon Buri's 21.2 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Chon Buri breathes ~35% cleaner air (11.4 µg/m³ lower).
Chiang Mai
Chon Buri
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
Chiang Mai (692K) and Chon Buri (263K) are 2.6x in population — Chiang Mai is the larger metro, Chon Buri the smaller; on land area Chiang Mai spans roughly 1.3x more ground.
Chiang Mai is roughly 1.9x the scale of Chon Buri
Combined population & area comparison
City Scale Rankings
Chiang Mai
Chon Buri
Who Thrives Here
Chiang Mai is the stronger fit for the budget-conscious. Both cities work well for the winter escapist.
Also compared
Frequently asked about Chiang Mai vs Chon Buri
▶Which is cheaper, Chiang Mai or Chon Buri?
▶How does the climate compare between Chiang Mai and Chon Buri?
▶Is Chiang Mai or Chon Buri safer?
▶Should I move to Chiang Mai or Chon Buri?
The best city depends on what matters to you
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