Chiang Mai

The original digital-nomad hub

Cheap, green and calm, with more coworking per capita than almost anywhere, the classic first base.

SeasonPeak seasonJanuary is one of the very best months to be here.

Daylight≈11h06:47 to 18:01

Written from the ground

Core Nomadic, run by the same people as NomadTiming, lived and worked in Chiang Mai and wrote up the part a score cannot reach: which cafes hold a video call, what a month actually cost, how they found somewhere to stay.

Read the Chiang Mai blueprint

Free to read. It is our own guide, and it counts for nothing in the score.

Who this fits

Good for: City life, Nature, Food, Wellness, Mountains
Community: Established

Golden window: November to January

Best months: November to January

Through the year

Nov to Feb · Cool season. Warm dry days, cool nights, clear mountain air.
Mar to Apr · Burning season. Hot and smoky, agricultural haze spikes the AQI.
May to Oct · Green/wet season. Lush hills and afternoon rains, humid but fresh.

Workday compatibility

The local hours you would keep here to share a couple of hours a day with a 9-to-5 in each of these zones.

US West (LA): 06:00 to 14:00 local25% overlap
US East (NYC): 15:00 to 23:00 local25% overlap
UK (London): 10:00 to 18:00 local25% overlap
Europe (CET): 09:00 to 17:00 local25% overlap
India (Mumbai): 09:00 to 17:00 local81% overlap
Australia (Sydney): 09:00 to 17:00 local50% overlap

Budget & internet

Budget$855 to $1,615/moper person/mo · housing incl.

Internet180 Mbpsreliable

What stands out

Internet: Fast, reliable internet (~180 Mbps).
Community: A big, established nomad scene.
Climate: Inside its golden window in January.

Know before choosing Chiang Mai

Past 60 days, check the listed nomad or long-stay route and the rules for your passport.
Burning season (Mar to Apr), plan around it.

The essentials

Work

Coworking: 30 notable spaces · call rooms

Cost

Housing: Monthly rentals: Very easy · studio $250 to $550

Life

Safety: Good
Healthcare: Good

Stay

Visa: Standard tourist entry: 60 days · Nomad / remote-work route listed
Best season: Nov to Jan
Timezone: UTC+7 · Asia/Bangkok

Data quality & sources

Mostly estimated · reviewed 2026-07

Every figure shows its source and confidence. v1 is hand-curated, so treat it as a starting point. Missing data is shown as “No data”, never invented.

Monthly cost: Numbeo (cost of living)· Low confidence
Internet: Country averageSpeedtest Global Index (Ookla)· Medium confidence
Coworking: NomadTiming editorial (coworking survey)· Low confidence
Visa: Country averageOfficial immigration guidance· Medium confidence
Safety: Numbeo Safety Index / public travel advisories· Low confidence
Healthcare: Country averageNumbeo Health Care Index· Low confidence
Community: Area estimateNomadTiming editorial (nomad community)· Low confidence
Housing: Numbeo rent index / local rental listings· Low confidence

How the scoring works and where data comes from: read the methodology.

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Back to the globe

November · Asia/Bangkok (UTC+7)