Bali (Indonesia) vs Chiang Mai (Thailand)

Bali (Indonesia) vs Chiang Mai (Thailand): rent, cost of living, climate, safety and country-level context (taxes, visas) side by side — every figure with its source.

Verified Jul 4, 2026

Bali (Indonesia)Chiang Mai (Thailand)

Scoreboard

The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.

Chiang Mai leads on 5 of 8

	Bali	Chiang Mai
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)	$700/mo i BPS — Pengeluaran untuk Konsumsi Penduduk Indonesia, Maret 2024 (per-capita expenditure), scaled to a single urban resident basket Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method BPS March-2024 average per-capita monthly expenditure is Rp 1,500,556 nationally (urban Rp 1,737,427), split food/non-food — but that is a rural-weighted per-capita floor far below a foreign remote worker's outlay. Curated single-person, non-rent urban (Jakarta-level) basket — groceries, eating out, transport/ride-hailing, utilities, mobile+home internet, modest leisure — sits around USD 650–750/month; recorded midpoint USD 700. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: this is a modelled basket anchored on BPS composition, not a single official basket figure; refine with itemised BPS urban non-food lines and current retail prices next cycle.	★$560/mo i Thai National Statistical Office (NSO) Household Socio-Economic Survey — average monthly household expenditure, via TPSO (Ministry of Commerce) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method NSO average monthly household expenditure ≈ 21,027 THB (March 2025). Removing about half of the 24.65% housing-&-utilities line as rent/imputed rent gives a household non-rent basket of ≈ 18,435 THB ≈ $553 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02); used as a proxy for a single-person non-rent basket (a solo resident's non-rent spend roughly matches a small household's). Rounded to $560. Notes Whole-kingdom national average — Bangkok and expat-style living run higher (commonly ~$650–750/month excluding rent in market estimates). Non-rent basket: food, utilities, transport & communications, health, recreation, clothing (see cost-breakdown).
Rent: 1-bedroom (city avg)	$725/mo i Visa Indonesia — Bali Rental Cost 2026 (listing-market guide, long-term 1-bedroom ranges by area) Research Data as of Jun 30, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Long-term (yearly-lease) 1-bedroom asking-rent ranges from a 2026 Bali listing-market guide: Denpasar IDR 7–15m (mid 11m ≈ $613), Ubud/Central IDR 7–25m, Canggu/Berawa IDR 13–35m (mid 24m ≈ $1,337), Seminyak IDR 10–35m. Representative Bali-wide long-term 1BR ≈ IDR 13m ≈ $725 at 17,954 IDR/USD (2026-07-03), leaning toward the residential stock (Denpasar/quieter areas) which dominates supply rather than the pricier nomad hotspots. Notes Bali's rental market is furnished-villa-led and highly location-skewed, so this differs materially from the country value (Jakarta-proxied ~$505) — recorded at city level rather than inherited. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: source is a listing-market guide, not a national statistics office or a single major portal's market report (BPS/BI publish no Bali long-term apartment-rent series; Numbeo/Expatistan excluded by policy). Furnished monthly holiday lets run several times higher; these are yearly-lease figures.	★$450/mo i Chiang Mai Properties — 'Chiang Mai Cost of Living 2026: Real Numbers' (portal asking prices) with cross-check to PropertyScout/Hipflat Nimman listings Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jun 30, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Central 1-bedroom condo (Nimman / Old City area) asking rent ≈ 10,000–25,000 THB/month depending on building tier; a mid-market central 1BR ≈ 15,000 THB ≈ $450 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02). Cross-checked against PropertyScout/Hipflat Nimman listings (studios 6,000–9,000; 1BR 9,000–15,000 THB) reported by Chiang Mai Ambassador neighbourhood guide. Notes Curated portal-listing midpoint, not an official statistic. Chiang Mai rents are a small fraction of Bangkok's; premium furnished Nimman condos with pool/gym reach 25,000–30,000 THB but are outliers for a standard 1BR. 'Central' here = Nimmanhaemin / Old City / Santitham core.
Freelancer tax burden	9.1% i SettleMetric tax engine over official DJP rules (pajak.go.id: NPPN + PPh Pasal 17 + PTKP) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best cleanly-eligible scheme id-nppn-freelancer at €60,000 = 1,232,521,200 IDR (ECB 20,542.02 IDR/EUR). NPPN professional-services norm 50% → net income 616,260,600; minus PTKP TK/0 54,000,000 → PKP 562,260,600; progressive PPh (5/15/25/30%) = 112,678,180 IDR → 9.14% ≈ 9.1%. The 0.5% MSME final tax would give ~0.3% but its 7-year window and professional-services exclusion make it unreliable for a newly-registered foreign IT freelancer, so NPPN is the recorded best. Single filer; NPPN KLU-62 norm pending manual confirmation (50% vs 62.5% — see scheme notes).	★3.7% i SettleMetric tax engine over official Thai Revenue Department rules (rd.go.th) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best eligible scheme th-pit-40-8-business at €60,000 = 2,278,560 THB (ECB 37.976 THB/EUR): 60% Section 40(8) standard deduction → PIT base 911,424; less 60,000 personal allowance → taxable 851,424; progressive PIT (5% to 20% bands) = 85,284.80 THB → 3.74%. Social security is voluntary for the self-employed and excluded. Assumes the income is assessable in Thailand (remitted in-year); a non-remitting resident can owe 0% under the remittance rule.
Homicide rate	★0.3/100k i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides per 100,000 people, Indonesia) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2022 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest available UNODC-sourced value is 0.30 per 100,000 for 2022 (World Bank series VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, sourced from the UNODC Data Portal). Indonesia's recorded intentional-homicide rate is very low by global standards; reporting has gaps between years.	1.84/100k i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides, VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) — republished by Our World in Data Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2021 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes 1.84 per 100,000 is the last firm UNODC data point (2021). UNODC/World Bank have not published a Thailand value for 2022–2024 (Thailand reports offences, not victims, and recent national figures were not submitted to the official series). Third-party aggregators quote rising unofficial figures (~1.9 in 2022, ~2.2 in 2023, ~2.6 in 2024) but these are not in the UNODC/World Bank published series and are not recorded here. To be re-verified when UNODC releases a newer Thailand figure.
Internet speed	10 Mbps i M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Indonesia (2023) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2023 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Median download ≈ 9.3–9.8 Mbps across the 2023 daily country medians (~4.3M tests) from M-Lab's public NDT statistics API; recorded midpoint 9.5 Mbps. 2024/2026 aggregate files were not retrievable at the time of check. Notes M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads far below Ookla-style figures (Ookla put Indonesia fixed broadband ~28–41 Mbps in 2024–2025) — comparable only within this criterion, never mixed with Ookla.	★16 Mbps i M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Thailand (2024) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla's Speedtest Index put Thailand fixed-broadband median ≈ 237 Mbps in 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. Thailand's real-world fixed broadband (fibre) is among the fastest/cheapest in the region; the low M-Lab number reflects test methodology, not typical line speed. Value is the median of 2024 daily country medians from M-Lab's public stats API.
English proficiency	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Indonesia rank 80/123, score 471 (Low Proficiency band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Indonesia scores 471 (Low band) nationally, though Jakarta scores 523 (Moderate). Bahasa Indonesia is the sole official language; English is workable in tourist/expat zones (Bali, South Jakarta) and among younger professionals, but limited in government offices and everyday services nationwide → 'low'.	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Thailand (rank 116/123, score 402, 'Very Low' band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First / Signum International AG). EF places Thailand nationally in the 'Very Low' band (score 402, rank 116/123), but English is markedly more workable for a resident in Bangkok (EF city score 467), tourist/expat hubs (Pattaya 474, Phuket 431, Chiang Mai 453) and the hospitality/service sector than the national score implies — hence 'low' rather than 'very-low' for day-to-day usability. Government offices and rural areas remain Thai-only in practice.
Private healthcare cost	$3,600/yr i International private medical insurers (Cigna Global, Allianz Care, AXA, William Russell) — comprehensive outpatient+inpatient plans; quote on request Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Comprehensive (outpatient + inpatient, ~USD 1m+ annual limit, small deductible) international/IPMI plans for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner in Indonesia are commonly quoted around USD 200–500/month; a mid-tier comprehensive plan midpoint ≈ USD 300/month ≈ USD 3,600/year. Premiums are quoted on request (age/coverage/evacuation dependent), so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote. Local BPJS Kesehatan (mandatory public scheme for KITAS holders) is far cheaper but not a comprehensive private-cover equivalent.	★$1,300/yr i Pacific Cross Thailand / Cigna / AXA comprehensive expat plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) private medical insurance for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner: international/expat plans with solid inpatient cover run ≈ 25,000–65,000 THB/year; a healthy-35 midpoint ≈ 40,000–45,000 THB ≈ $1,200–1,350 at 33.32 THB/USD. Recorded midpoint ≈ $1,300. Local Thai policies are cheaper (12,000–35,000 THB) but carry more exclusions/territorial limits. Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a single public engine quote. Notes Thailand has no universal coverage for foreigners; residents typically buy private cover or pay out of pocket at Thailand's (relatively low-cost, high-quality) private hospitals. Long-stay visas (e.g. some retirement/LTR conditions) require minimum inpatient/outpatient coverage. Medical inflation ~5–8%/yr. Range ≈ $750–1,950.
Air quality (PM2.5)	★19.4 µg/m³ i WHO Ambient Air Quality Database — Denpasar, Indonesia (annual mean PM2.5) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest citable annual-mean PM2.5 for Denpasar is ~19.4 µg/m³ (2019-vintage, WHO Ambient Air Quality Database) — reported as the cleanest air among Indonesian cities and within the national standard, but ~4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³). NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: no 2022–2024 city annual mean for Denpasar/Bali could be verified — Bali is absent from the IQAir 2023 World Air Quality Report city tables (insufficient qualifying monitoring that year) and no newer official BMKG/KLHK Bali annual PM2.5 series was located. Value kept for continuity but is stale; re-verify against the next WHO database update or a Bali provincial monitoring release. Bali has no heavy industry and readings run below Jakarta/Java, though dry-season crop and rubbish burning cause local spikes.	32.3 µg/m³ i IQAir World Air Quality Report — Chiang Mai city annual mean (compiled from ground monitoring) Research Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Latest cleanly-attributed city annual mean available: 32.3 µg/m³ for 2019 (IQAir compilation of ground-station data). Corroborated by peer-reviewed monitoring: 2013–2022 mean 27.5 µg/m³ (24-hour basis) and 22.7 µg/m³ annual in 2017 (Decadal Trends study, PMC11125922). Recorded as 'research' rather than a public-domain open-data register because Thailand's national monitoring authority (PCD/Air4Thai) does not publish a redistributable city annual-mean series in an accessible form. Notes Chiang Mai's annual mean masks an extreme seasonal pattern: PM2.5 is very low most of the year (~5–6 µg/m³ in the wet season) but spikes to hazardous levels during the agricultural/forest burning season (roughly Feb–Apr), when city outdoor means around 100+ µg/m³ have been recorded and Chiang Mai regularly tops global live-AQI rankings. The ~32 µg/m³ annual figure is above the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and the EU limit territory; the lived experience is far worse for 2–3 months and near-pristine the rest of the year. To be refined if the Pollution Control Department (Air4Thai) publishes a redistributable recent annual-mean series.

Verdict

Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.

Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.

Chiang Mai fits better — 3 of 5

	Bali	Chiang Mai
Freelancer tax burden	9.1% i SettleMetric tax engine over official DJP rules (pajak.go.id: NPPN + PPh Pasal 17 + PTKP) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best cleanly-eligible scheme id-nppn-freelancer at €60,000 = 1,232,521,200 IDR (ECB 20,542.02 IDR/EUR). NPPN professional-services norm 50% → net income 616,260,600; minus PTKP TK/0 54,000,000 → PKP 562,260,600; progressive PPh (5/15/25/30%) = 112,678,180 IDR → 9.14% ≈ 9.1%. The 0.5% MSME final tax would give ~0.3% but its 7-year window and professional-services exclusion make it unreliable for a newly-registered foreign IT freelancer, so NPPN is the recorded best. Single filer; NPPN KLU-62 norm pending manual confirmation (50% vs 62.5% — see scheme notes).	★3.7% i SettleMetric tax engine over official Thai Revenue Department rules (rd.go.th) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best eligible scheme th-pit-40-8-business at €60,000 = 2,278,560 THB (ECB 37.976 THB/EUR): 60% Section 40(8) standard deduction → PIT base 911,424; less 60,000 personal allowance → taxable 851,424; progressive PIT (5% to 20% bands) = 85,284.80 THB → 3.74%. Social security is voluntary for the self-employed and excluded. Assumes the income is assessable in Thailand (remitted in-year); a non-remitting resident can owe 0% under the remittance rule.
Internet speed	10 Mbps i M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Indonesia (2023) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2023 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Median download ≈ 9.3–9.8 Mbps across the 2023 daily country medians (~4.3M tests) from M-Lab's public NDT statistics API; recorded midpoint 9.5 Mbps. 2024/2026 aggregate files were not retrievable at the time of check. Notes M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads far below Ookla-style figures (Ookla put Indonesia fixed broadband ~28–41 Mbps in 2024–2025) — comparable only within this criterion, never mixed with Ookla.	★16 Mbps i M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Thailand (2024) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla's Speedtest Index put Thailand fixed-broadband median ≈ 237 Mbps in 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. Thailand's real-world fixed broadband (fibre) is among the fastest/cheapest in the region; the low M-Lab number reflects test methodology, not typical line speed. Value is the median of 2024 daily country medians from M-Lab's public stats API.
English proficiency	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Indonesia rank 80/123, score 471 (Low Proficiency band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Indonesia scores 471 (Low band) nationally, though Jakarta scores 523 (Moderate). Bahasa Indonesia is the sole official language; English is workable in tourist/expat zones (Bali, South Jakarta) and among younger professionals, but limited in government offices and everyday services nationwide → 'low'.	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Thailand (rank 116/123, score 402, 'Very Low' band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First / Signum International AG). EF places Thailand nationally in the 'Very Low' band (score 402, rank 116/123), but English is markedly more workable for a resident in Bangkok (EF city score 467), tourist/expat hubs (Pattaya 474, Phuket 431, Chiang Mai 453) and the hospitality/service sector than the national score implies — hence 'low' rather than 'very-low' for day-to-day usability. Government offices and rural areas remain Thai-only in practice.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)	$700/mo i BPS — Pengeluaran untuk Konsumsi Penduduk Indonesia, Maret 2024 (per-capita expenditure), scaled to a single urban resident basket Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method BPS March-2024 average per-capita monthly expenditure is Rp 1,500,556 nationally (urban Rp 1,737,427), split food/non-food — but that is a rural-weighted per-capita floor far below a foreign remote worker's outlay. Curated single-person, non-rent urban (Jakarta-level) basket — groceries, eating out, transport/ride-hailing, utilities, mobile+home internet, modest leisure — sits around USD 650–750/month; recorded midpoint USD 700. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: this is a modelled basket anchored on BPS composition, not a single official basket figure; refine with itemised BPS urban non-food lines and current retail prices next cycle.	★$560/mo i Thai National Statistical Office (NSO) Household Socio-Economic Survey — average monthly household expenditure, via TPSO (Ministry of Commerce) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method NSO average monthly household expenditure ≈ 21,027 THB (March 2025). Removing about half of the 24.65% housing-&-utilities line as rent/imputed rent gives a household non-rent basket of ≈ 18,435 THB ≈ $553 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02); used as a proxy for a single-person non-rent basket (a solo resident's non-rent spend roughly matches a small household's). Rounded to $560. Notes Whole-kingdom national average — Bangkok and expat-style living run higher (commonly ~$650–750/month excluding rent in market estimates). Non-rent basket: food, utilities, transport & communications, health, recreation, clothing (see cost-breakdown).
Domestic delivery quality	Good i Pos Indonesia + major private carriers (JNE, J&T, SiCepat, Ninja Xpress, GoSend/GrabExpress) service coverage (composite) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Dense, competitive parcel market: Pos Indonesia (national operator) plus JNE, J&T Express, SiCepat, Ninja Xpress and on-demand couriers (GoSend, GrabExpress) give 1–3 day delivery in Java and major cities and same-day intra-city; tracking is standard. Reach to remote islands is slower and address quality is uneven, so 'good' rather than 'excellent'. Parcel-locker networks are limited vs Europe.	Good i Thailand Post and major carriers (Flash Express, Kerry Express / J&T, Thailand Post) — official service/coverage pages Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Dense, competitive parcel market: Thailand Post (nationwide, ~5,000 outlets), plus private carriers Flash Express, Kerry Express, J&T Express, and platform logistics (Lazada, Shopee). 1–3 day delivery is the norm in and between cities; next-day common within Bangkok and major metros. Cash-on-delivery is widespread. Rated 'good' rather than 'excellent': coverage and tracking are strong in cities but rural/remote delivery is slower and parcel-locker networks are far less pervasive than in top-tier markets.

Relocating with a partner and school-age children.

Bali fits better — 3 of 5

	Bali	Chiang Mai
International schools	★20 i IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school, country=Indonesia) + Cambridge International 'Find a Cambridge school' (Indonesia / Bali) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Union of two accreditor registries, verified directly (both are JS-rendered, read in a browser). IB World Schools in Bali (5): Alam Kidz School Bali, Australian Independent School Indonesia (Bali), Bali Island School, Canggu Community School, Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School Bali. Cambridge-registered schools in Bali (19): ACS Bali, Asian Intercultural School Bali, Bukit Sunrise School, Canggu Community School, Cendekia Harapan, Dyatmika School, ProEd Global School, ProEd Global School Nuanu, Regents Primary School, Regents Secondary School Bali, Santosa Intercultural School, Sanur Independent School, Sekolah Lentera Kasih–Lollypop, Sekolah Stella Mundi, SPK SD CHIS Denpasar, Taman Rama Intercultural School, The Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School, Tunjung Sari School, Widya Nusantara School (* = also IB, counted once). Union = 5 + 19 − 2 overlaps = 22 registry entries; collapsing obvious same-institution campus splits (Regents Primary + Regents Secondary → 1; ProEd Global + ProEd Global Nuanu → 1) gives ~20 distinct international schools. Recorded 20. Notes Count is IB + Cambridge only (verified against each accreditor's own finder, not aggregator sites). No AEFE (French), German Auslandsschulwesen, US/College Board, or CIS/COBIS-exclusive schools were separately enumerated, so the true total accredited pool may be marginally higher; ±2 uncertainty from campus-split judgement. Whichever counting choice (20 vs 22) lands in the same scoring band. Most schools cluster in Denpasar and South Bali (Kerobokan/Canggu/Sanur/Jimbaran).	8 i IB World Schools directory + Cambridge International + WASC school accreditation statements (verified per accreditor) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Count of Chiang Mai international schools verified against a recognised accreditor, de-duplicated across accreditors: IB World Schools confirmed on the IBO registry — Prem Tinsulanonda (ibo.org/en/school/001366), Panyaden (061269), American Pacific (002907); Cambridge International registered schools — Varee Chiangmai, Meritton British, Lanna International (each confirmed via Cambridge 'find a school' Thailand/Chiang Mai and the schools' own Cambridge-centre statements); WASC-accredited American schools — Chiang Mai International School (CMIS, WASC since 1987) and Nakornpayap International School (NIS, WASC). Total distinct = 8. Notes ±1–2 uncertainty. Conservative floor: only schools whose accreditation I could confirm against the accreditor (IB registry, Cambridge finder, or WASC statement) are counted. Grace International School (American/AP, likely WASC/ACSI) and Christliche Deutsche Schule Chiang Mai (German) are plausibly accredited but were not confirmed against a primary accreditor registry here, so they are excluded — including them would raise the count to ~9–10. The Cambridge finder is JavaScript-rendered and could not be fully enumerated, so additional Cambridge centres may exist.
Homicide rate	★0.3/100k i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides per 100,000 people, Indonesia) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2022 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest available UNODC-sourced value is 0.30 per 100,000 for 2022 (World Bank series VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, sourced from the UNODC Data Portal). Indonesia's recorded intentional-homicide rate is very low by global standards; reporting has gaps between years.	1.84/100k i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides, VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) — republished by Our World in Data Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2021 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes 1.84 per 100,000 is the last firm UNODC data point (2021). UNODC/World Bank have not published a Thailand value for 2022–2024 (Thailand reports offences, not victims, and recent national figures were not submitted to the official series). Third-party aggregators quote rising unofficial figures (~1.9 in 2022, ~2.2 in 2023, ~2.6 in 2024) but these are not in the UNODC/World Bank published series and are not recorded here. To be re-verified when UNODC releases a newer Thailand figure.
Private healthcare cost	$3,600/yr i International private medical insurers (Cigna Global, Allianz Care, AXA, William Russell) — comprehensive outpatient+inpatient plans; quote on request Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Comprehensive (outpatient + inpatient, ~USD 1m+ annual limit, small deductible) international/IPMI plans for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner in Indonesia are commonly quoted around USD 200–500/month; a mid-tier comprehensive plan midpoint ≈ USD 300/month ≈ USD 3,600/year. Premiums are quoted on request (age/coverage/evacuation dependent), so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote. Local BPJS Kesehatan (mandatory public scheme for KITAS holders) is far cheaper but not a comprehensive private-cover equivalent.	★$1,300/yr i Pacific Cross Thailand / Cigna / AXA comprehensive expat plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) private medical insurance for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner: international/expat plans with solid inpatient cover run ≈ 25,000–65,000 THB/year; a healthy-35 midpoint ≈ 40,000–45,000 THB ≈ $1,200–1,350 at 33.32 THB/USD. Recorded midpoint ≈ $1,300. Local Thai policies are cheaper (12,000–35,000 THB) but carry more exclusions/territorial limits. Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a single public engine quote. Notes Thailand has no universal coverage for foreigners; residents typically buy private cover or pay out of pocket at Thailand's (relatively low-cost, high-quality) private hospitals. Long-stay visas (e.g. some retirement/LTR conditions) require minimum inpatient/outpatient coverage. Medical inflation ~5–8%/yr. Range ≈ $750–1,950.
Air quality (PM2.5)	★19.4 µg/m³ i WHO Ambient Air Quality Database — Denpasar, Indonesia (annual mean PM2.5) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest citable annual-mean PM2.5 for Denpasar is ~19.4 µg/m³ (2019-vintage, WHO Ambient Air Quality Database) — reported as the cleanest air among Indonesian cities and within the national standard, but ~4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³). NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: no 2022–2024 city annual mean for Denpasar/Bali could be verified — Bali is absent from the IQAir 2023 World Air Quality Report city tables (insufficient qualifying monitoring that year) and no newer official BMKG/KLHK Bali annual PM2.5 series was located. Value kept for continuity but is stale; re-verify against the next WHO database update or a Bali provincial monitoring release. Bali has no heavy industry and readings run below Jakarta/Java, though dry-season crop and rubbish burning cause local spikes.	32.3 µg/m³ i IQAir World Air Quality Report — Chiang Mai city annual mean (compiled from ground monitoring) Research Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Latest cleanly-attributed city annual mean available: 32.3 µg/m³ for 2019 (IQAir compilation of ground-station data). Corroborated by peer-reviewed monitoring: 2013–2022 mean 27.5 µg/m³ (24-hour basis) and 22.7 µg/m³ annual in 2017 (Decadal Trends study, PMC11125922). Recorded as 'research' rather than a public-domain open-data register because Thailand's national monitoring authority (PCD/Air4Thai) does not publish a redistributable city annual-mean series in an accessible form. Notes Chiang Mai's annual mean masks an extreme seasonal pattern: PM2.5 is very low most of the year (~5–6 µg/m³ in the wet season) but spikes to hazardous levels during the agricultural/forest burning season (roughly Feb–Apr), when city outdoor means around 100+ µg/m³ have been recorded and Chiang Mai regularly tops global live-AQI rankings. The ~32 µg/m³ annual figure is above the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and the EU limit territory; the lived experience is far worse for 2–3 months and near-pristine the rest of the year. To be refined if the Pollution Control Department (Air4Thai) publishes a redistributable recent annual-mean series.
English proficiency	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Indonesia rank 80/123, score 471 (Low Proficiency band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Indonesia scores 471 (Low band) nationally, though Jakarta scores 523 (Moderate). Bahasa Indonesia is the sole official language; English is workable in tourist/expat zones (Bali, South Jakarta) and among younger professionals, but limited in government offices and everyday services nationwide → 'low'.	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Thailand (rank 116/123, score 402, 'Very Low' band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First / Signum International AG). EF places Thailand nationally in the 'Very Low' band (score 402, rank 116/123), but English is markedly more workable for a resident in Bangkok (EF city score 467), tourist/expat hubs (Pattaya 474, Phuket 431, Chiang Mai 453) and the hospitality/service sector than the national score implies — hence 'low' rather than 'very-low' for day-to-day usability. Government offices and rural areas remain Thai-only in practice.

Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.

Chiang Mai fits better — 2 of 3

	Bali	Chiang Mai
Crypto regulation	Legal regulated i OJK — POJK 27/2024 (as amended by POJK 23/2025) on trading of digital financial assets incl. crypto assets Official source Data as of Aug 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Crypto is legal to hold and trade as a regulated digital financial asset (supervision moved from Bappebti to OJK on 2025-01-10 under PP 49/2024; framework in POJK 27/2024 + POJK 23/2025), but is prohibited as a means of payment (only the rupiah is legal tender). Taxed: a final PPh of 0.21% on sales via domestic licensed platforms and 1% via foreign platforms (PMK 50/2025, effective 2025-08-01); VAT on the asset transfer itself was removed. Regulated, not exemption-friendly → 'legal-regulated'.	★Legal friendly i Thai SEC — Digital Asset Business regulation; and Ministerial Regulation No. 399 (personal income tax exemption on digital-asset gains, Royal Gazette 5 Sept 2025) Official source Data as of Sep 5, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Crypto ('digital assets') is legal and regulated: exchanges, brokers and dealers must be licensed by the Thai SEC under the 2018 Digital Asset Business Decree (AML/KYC). Classified 'legal-friendly' because of an explicit tax break — under Ministerial Regulation No. 399 (Royal Gazette 5 Sept 2025), capital gains from selling crypto/digital tokens through a Thai-licensed exchange/broker/dealer are exempt from personal income tax for income received 1 Jan 2025–31 Dec 2029. Trading via unlicensed foreign platforms is discouraged/blockable and not covered by the exemption.
Financial control level	Moderate i Bank Indonesia foreign-exchange regulations + DJP crypto/reporting rules (composite) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Composite: the rupiah is largely convertible and there are no hard capital controls on inbound/outbound personal transfers, but Bank Indonesia requires reporting/underlying-document evidence for FX purchases above a threshold (historically USD 25,000/month per customer without underlying documents), restricts rupiah use offshore, and mandates rupiah for domestic settlement; residents are taxed on worldwide income once tax-resident; foreigners can open local bank accounts but generally need a KITAS/KITAP and NPWP. More friction than a low-control hub, well short of strict capital controls → 'moderate'. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: the current exact FX-without-documents threshold should be re-verified against a live Bank Indonesia regulation page (fetch was JS-walled).	Moderate i Bank of Thailand — Exchange Control Regulation (foreign-exchange rules for residents and non-residents) Official source Data as of Dec 30, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Composite: Thailand operates active exchange controls administered by the Bank of Thailand. The baht is not fully liberalized; residents may hold foreign-currency deposit (FCD) accounts and remit funds, but banks must verify supporting documents for inbound FX transactions of USD 200,000+ (BOT Circular, effective 29–30 Dec 2025) and report large non-resident transfers. Residents are taxed on worldwide income only when remitted to Thailand (Revenue Department remittance rule). Non-residents can open THB/FCD accounts with authorized banks. Foreigners can bank locally but face documentation friction; there is no FBAR-style personal foreign-asset disclosure. Neither low (like the EU) nor very-high (no hard capital lock-in) → moderate.
Freelancer tax burden	9.1% i SettleMetric tax engine over official DJP rules (pajak.go.id: NPPN + PPh Pasal 17 + PTKP) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best cleanly-eligible scheme id-nppn-freelancer at €60,000 = 1,232,521,200 IDR (ECB 20,542.02 IDR/EUR). NPPN professional-services norm 50% → net income 616,260,600; minus PTKP TK/0 54,000,000 → PKP 562,260,600; progressive PPh (5/15/25/30%) = 112,678,180 IDR → 9.14% ≈ 9.1%. The 0.5% MSME final tax would give ~0.3% but its 7-year window and professional-services exclusion make it unreliable for a newly-registered foreign IT freelancer, so NPPN is the recorded best. Single filer; NPPN KLU-62 norm pending manual confirmation (50% vs 62.5% — see scheme notes).	★3.7% i SettleMetric tax engine over official Thai Revenue Department rules (rd.go.th) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best eligible scheme th-pit-40-8-business at €60,000 = 2,278,560 THB (ECB 37.976 THB/EUR): 60% Section 40(8) standard deduction → PIT base 911,424; less 60,000 personal allowance → taxable 851,424; progressive PIT (5% to 20% bands) = 85,284.80 THB → 3.74%. Social security is voluntary for the self-employed and excluded. Assumes the income is assessable in Thailand (remitted in-year); a non-remitting resident can owe 0% under the remittance rule.

Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.

Bali fits better — 2 of 4

	Bali	Chiang Mai
Homicide rate	★0.3/100k i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides per 100,000 people, Indonesia) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2022 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest available UNODC-sourced value is 0.30 per 100,000 for 2022 (World Bank series VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, sourced from the UNODC Data Portal). Indonesia's recorded intentional-homicide rate is very low by global standards; reporting has gaps between years.	1.84/100k i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides, VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) — republished by Our World in Data Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2021 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes 1.84 per 100,000 is the last firm UNODC data point (2021). UNODC/World Bank have not published a Thailand value for 2022–2024 (Thailand reports offences, not victims, and recent national figures were not submitted to the official series). Third-party aggregators quote rising unofficial figures (~1.9 in 2022, ~2.2 in 2023, ~2.6 in 2024) but these are not in the UNODC/World Bank published series and are not recorded here. To be re-verified when UNODC releases a newer Thailand figure.
Air quality (PM2.5)	★19.4 µg/m³ i WHO Ambient Air Quality Database — Denpasar, Indonesia (annual mean PM2.5) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest citable annual-mean PM2.5 for Denpasar is ~19.4 µg/m³ (2019-vintage, WHO Ambient Air Quality Database) — reported as the cleanest air among Indonesian cities and within the national standard, but ~4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³). NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: no 2022–2024 city annual mean for Denpasar/Bali could be verified — Bali is absent from the IQAir 2023 World Air Quality Report city tables (insufficient qualifying monitoring that year) and no newer official BMKG/KLHK Bali annual PM2.5 series was located. Value kept for continuity but is stale; re-verify against the next WHO database update or a Bali provincial monitoring release. Bali has no heavy industry and readings run below Jakarta/Java, though dry-season crop and rubbish burning cause local spikes.	32.3 µg/m³ i IQAir World Air Quality Report — Chiang Mai city annual mean (compiled from ground monitoring) Research Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Latest cleanly-attributed city annual mean available: 32.3 µg/m³ for 2019 (IQAir compilation of ground-station data). Corroborated by peer-reviewed monitoring: 2013–2022 mean 27.5 µg/m³ (24-hour basis) and 22.7 µg/m³ annual in 2017 (Decadal Trends study, PMC11125922). Recorded as 'research' rather than a public-domain open-data register because Thailand's national monitoring authority (PCD/Air4Thai) does not publish a redistributable city annual-mean series in an accessible form. Notes Chiang Mai's annual mean masks an extreme seasonal pattern: PM2.5 is very low most of the year (~5–6 µg/m³ in the wet season) but spikes to hazardous levels during the agricultural/forest burning season (roughly Feb–Apr), when city outdoor means around 100+ µg/m³ have been recorded and Chiang Mai regularly tops global live-AQI rankings. The ~32 µg/m³ annual figure is above the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and the EU limit territory; the lived experience is far worse for 2–3 months and near-pristine the rest of the year. To be refined if the Pollution Control Department (Air4Thai) publishes a redistributable recent annual-mean series.
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)	$700/mo i BPS — Pengeluaran untuk Konsumsi Penduduk Indonesia, Maret 2024 (per-capita expenditure), scaled to a single urban resident basket Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method BPS March-2024 average per-capita monthly expenditure is Rp 1,500,556 nationally (urban Rp 1,737,427), split food/non-food — but that is a rural-weighted per-capita floor far below a foreign remote worker's outlay. Curated single-person, non-rent urban (Jakarta-level) basket — groceries, eating out, transport/ride-hailing, utilities, mobile+home internet, modest leisure — sits around USD 650–750/month; recorded midpoint USD 700. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: this is a modelled basket anchored on BPS composition, not a single official basket figure; refine with itemised BPS urban non-food lines and current retail prices next cycle.	★$560/mo i Thai National Statistical Office (NSO) Household Socio-Economic Survey — average monthly household expenditure, via TPSO (Ministry of Commerce) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method NSO average monthly household expenditure ≈ 21,027 THB (March 2025). Removing about half of the 24.65% housing-&-utilities line as rent/imputed rent gives a household non-rent basket of ≈ 18,435 THB ≈ $553 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02); used as a proxy for a single-person non-rent basket (a solo resident's non-rent spend roughly matches a small household's). Rounded to $560. Notes Whole-kingdom national average — Bangkok and expat-style living run higher (commonly ~$650–750/month excluding rent in market estimates). Non-rent basket: food, utilities, transport & communications, health, recreation, clothing (see cost-breakdown).
Climate comfort	0/12 mo i SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Ngurah Rai 1991–2020) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Dec 31, 2020 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Criterion rule: months with mean daily maximum 15–28 °C AND precipitation < 150 mm. Bali's coldest month (Jul/Aug) still has a mean daily max of 29.2 °C, so NO month falls inside the 15–28 °C max window → 0 pleasant months by this temperate-comfort metric. This flags Bali as consistently hot/humid, not that it is unpleasant — the raw normals are shown so users judge by their own taste (many nomads prefer exactly this warmth).	0/12 mo i SettleMetric computation over climate-normals Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Dec 31, 2020 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Criterion rule: count months with mean daily maximum 15–28°C and precipitation < 150 mm. Chiang Mai's mean daily maximum exceeds 28°C in every month (coolest is December at 28.3°C, January 29.4°C), so zero months satisfy the upper-temperature bound → 0. Notes 0 reflects the metric's temperate-comfort band, which penalises year-round tropical heat; it does not mean Chiang Mai is unpleasant to residents. By local standards the agreeable window is the cool-dry season (Nov–Feb): warm days ~29–30°C, cool nights 14–17°C, low rain. That season overlaps the burning-season air-pollution spike (see air-quality-pm25). Raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.

Details

Taxes

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile	9.1 i SettleMetric tax engine over official DJP rules (pajak.go.id: NPPN + PPh Pasal 17 + PTKP) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best cleanly-eligible scheme id-nppn-freelancer at €60,000 = 1,232,521,200 IDR (ECB 20,542.02 IDR/EUR). NPPN professional-services norm 50% → net income 616,260,600; minus PTKP TK/0 54,000,000 → PKP 562,260,600; progressive PPh (5/15/25/30%) = 112,678,180 IDR → 9.14% ≈ 9.1%. The 0.5% MSME final tax would give ~0.3% but its 7-year window and professional-services exclusion make it unreliable for a newly-registered foreign IT freelancer, so NPPN is the recorded best. Single filer; NPPN KLU-62 norm pending manual confirmation (50% vs 62.5% — see scheme notes). 9.2	3.7 i SettleMetric tax engine over official Thai Revenue Department rules (rd.go.th) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jan 1, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Best eligible scheme th-pit-40-8-business at €60,000 = 2,278,560 THB (ECB 37.976 THB/EUR): 60% Section 40(8) standard deduction → PIT base 911,424; less 60,000 personal allowance → taxable 851,424; progressive PIT (5% to 20% bands) = 85,284.80 THB → 3.74%. Social security is voluntary for the self-employed and excluded. Assumes the income is assessable in Thailand (remitted in-year); a non-remitting resident can owe 0% under the remittance rule. 10.0

Legalization

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Remote-work legalization ease	Dedicated nomad visa i Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi — E33G Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh (remote worker) Official source Data as of Apr 1, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Indonesia has a dedicated remote-worker permit: the E33G Remote Worker KITAS (live since April 2024) grants a 1-year, renewable limited stay to foreigners employed by a company established outside Indonesia, requiring USD 60,000/year foreign income and a USD 2,000 bank balance. Self-employed/sole traders and anyone with Indonesian-source income are excluded — a genuine gap for pure freelancers, who instead use the Second Home (E33) or Investor (E28A) KITAS. 10.0	Dedicated nomad visa i Royal Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) checklist Official source Data as of Jul 15, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Thailand has a dedicated digital-nomad visa: the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), a 5-year multiple-entry visa (180 days/entry, extendable +180) for remote workers/freelancers, launched 15 July 2024, open to all nationalities with 500,000 THB of funds. The 10-year LTR 'Work-from-Thailand Professional' visa is an additional high-income remote-worker route with a foreign-income tax exemption. 10.0

Cost of living

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rent	700 i BPS — Pengeluaran untuk Konsumsi Penduduk Indonesia, Maret 2024 (per-capita expenditure), scaled to a single urban resident basket Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method BPS March-2024 average per-capita monthly expenditure is Rp 1,500,556 nationally (urban Rp 1,737,427), split food/non-food — but that is a rural-weighted per-capita floor far below a foreign remote worker's outlay. Curated single-person, non-rent urban (Jakarta-level) basket — groceries, eating out, transport/ride-hailing, utilities, mobile+home internet, modest leisure — sits around USD 650–750/month; recorded midpoint USD 700. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: this is a modelled basket anchored on BPS composition, not a single official basket figure; refine with itemised BPS urban non-food lines and current retail prices next cycle. 9.0	560 i Thai National Statistical Office (NSO) Household Socio-Economic Survey — average monthly household expenditure, via TPSO (Ministry of Commerce) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method NSO average monthly household expenditure ≈ 21,027 THB (March 2025). Removing about half of the 24.65% housing-&-utilities line as rent/imputed rent gives a household non-rent basket of ≈ 18,435 THB ≈ $553 at 33.32 THB/USD (37.976 THB/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, ECB 2026-07-02); used as a proxy for a single-person non-rent basket (a solo resident's non-rent spend roughly matches a small household's). Rounded to $560. Notes Whole-kingdom national average — Bangkok and expat-style living run higher (commonly ~$650–750/month excluding rent in market estimates). Non-rent basket: food, utilities, transport & communications, health, recreation, clothing (see cost-breakdown). 9.7

Monthly spending by category (excl. rent)

Category	Bali i BPS Household consumption composition (Maret 2024), curated into a single urban-resident basket Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Category split follows the BPS food/non-food consumption structure, sized to the ~USD 700/mo single-person non-rent aggregate for an urban (Jakarta-level) resident. Illustrative allocation, not an official line-item table — see the NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW note on cost-of-living-single.	Chiang Mai i Thai National Statistical Office (NSO) Household Socio-Economic Survey (category shares), via TPSO Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Mar 31, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method NSO household expenditure by category (March 2025, 21,027 THB/household): food & non-alcoholic 39.13%, transport & communications 22.50%, housing & utilities 24.65% (utilities-only shown, rent excluded ≈ half), health 6.35%, recreation & education 4.03%, clothing 2.10%, alcohol & tobacco 1.24%. Converted at 33.32 THB/USD. Line items sum to ≈ $553, matching the ~$560 cost-of-living aggregate. National average — city living runs higher.
Food & non-alcoholic beverages	—	$247
Food & groceries	$220	—
Utilities (electricity, water, gas)	$70	$78
Transport & communications	—	$142
Restaurants & eating out	$120	—
Transport (ride-hailing + public)	$90	—
Recreation & culture	$90	—
Household & personal goods	$70	—
Mobile + home internet	$40	—
Health & personal care	—	$40
Recreation & education	—	$25
Clothing & footwear	—	$13
Alcohol & tobacco	—	$8
Total (excl. rent)	$700/mo	$553/mo

Housing

Rent by apartment type

Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).

Apartment	Bali i Visa Indonesia — Bali Rental Cost 2026 (long-term ranges by unit size and area) Research Data as of Jun 30, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Midpoints of the guide's long-term IDR ranges, converted at 17,954 IDR/USD (2026-07-03). 'center' = South Bali nomad/expat hotspot (Canggu/Berawa/Seminyak): studio 10–30m→mid 20m ($1,114), 1BR 13–35m→24m ($1,337), 2BR 17–55m→36m ($2,005), 3BR (Bali mid-range 29–70m→~40m, $2,228). 'outside' = Denpasar and quieter residential Bali: studio 3.5–8m→5.75m ($320), 1BR 7–15m→11m ($613), 2BR 12–25m→18.5m ($1,030), 3BR (Bali budget 14–28m→21m, $1,170). Notes 'center'/'outside' here mean South Bali expat hotspots vs. Denpasar/quieter areas — Bali has no single CBD, so this maps location to demand tier rather than distance from a centre. All cells are DERIVED from published area ranges (range midpoints), not directly observed averages; 3BR uses Bali-wide tier figures (no per-area 3BR breakdown published). Furnished holiday-let rates are much higher; these are yearly-lease. See the rent-1br-center NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW note on source quality.	Chiang Mai i Chiang Mai Properties — 'Chiang Mai Cost of Living 2026: Real Numbers' rental table (portal asking prices) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jun 30, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Midpoints of the 2026 portal rental table converted at 33.32 THB/USD. Reported THB ranges: studio 5,000–9,000 (central Old City/Nimman) → mid ≈ 8,000 = $240, side-street/suburb ≈ 5,500 = $165; 1BR condo w/ pool 10,000–18,000 and premium Nimman 15,000–25,000 → central ≈ 15,000 = $450, outer ≈ 10,000 = $300; 2BR 16,000–28,000 → central ≈ 22,000 = $660, outer (Mae Hia/San Kamphaeng) ≈ 16,000 = $480; 3BR furnished house 22,000–40,000 → central-equivalent ≈ 30,000 = $900, outer (Hang Dong/Sansai) ≈ 24,000 = $720. Notes DERIVED midpoints from a single 2026 portal report — the source publishes ranges by neighbourhood/property type, not a clean room×center/outside matrix, so the eight cells are transparently interpolated and should be read as indicative, not surveyed. 'Center' = Nimman/Old City core; 'outside' = suburban districts (Hang Dong, Mae Hia, San Kamphaeng, Sansai), which offer 25–35% more space per baht. Portal asking prices, curated proxy, not an official statistic.
Studio	$1,114 ($320)	$240 ($165)
1-bedroom	$1,337 ($613)	$450 ($300)
2-bedroom	$2,005 ($1,030)	$660 ($480)
3-bedroom	$2,228 ($1,170)	$900 ($720)

Safety

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/year	0.3 i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides per 100,000 people, Indonesia) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2022 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest available UNODC-sourced value is 0.30 per 100,000 for 2022 (World Bank series VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, sourced from the UNODC Data Portal). Indonesia's recorded intentional-homicide rate is very low by global standards; reporting has gaps between years. 10.0	1.8 i UNODC via World Bank (Intentional homicides, VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) — republished by Our World in Data Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2021 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes 1.84 per 100,000 is the last firm UNODC data point (2021). UNODC/World Bank have not published a Thailand value for 2022–2024 (Thailand reports offences, not victims, and recent national figures were not submitted to the official series). Third-party aggregators quote rising unofficial figures (~1.9 in 2022, ~2.2 in 2023, ~2.6 in 2024) but these are not in the UNODC/World Bank published series and are not recorded here. To be re-verified when UNODC releases a newer Thailand figure. 7.3

Climate

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Climate comfortpleasant months/year	0 i SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Ngurah Rai 1991–2020) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Dec 31, 2020 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Criterion rule: months with mean daily maximum 15–28 °C AND precipitation < 150 mm. Bali's coldest month (Jul/Aug) still has a mean daily max of 29.2 °C, so NO month falls inside the 15–28 °C max window → 0 pleasant months by this temperate-comfort metric. This flags Bali as consistently hot/humid, not that it is unpleasant — the raw normals are shown so users judge by their own taste (many nomads prefer exactly this warmth). 0.0	0 i SettleMetric computation over climate-normals Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Dec 31, 2020 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Criterion rule: count months with mean daily maximum 15–28°C and precipitation < 150 mm. Chiang Mai's mean daily maximum exceeds 28°C in every month (coolest is December at 28.3°C, January 29.4°C), so zero months satisfy the upper-temperature bound → 0. Notes 0 reflects the metric's temperate-comfort band, which penalises year-round tropical heat; it does not mean Chiang Mai is unpleasant to residents. By local standards the agreeable window is the cool-dry season (Nov–Feb): warm days ~29–30°C, cool nights 14–17°C, low rain. That season overlaps the burning-season air-pollution spike (see air-quality-pm25). Raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste. 0.0
Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5	19.4 i WHO Ambient Air Quality Database — Denpasar, Indonesia (annual mean PM2.5) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Latest citable annual-mean PM2.5 for Denpasar is ~19.4 µg/m³ (2019-vintage, WHO Ambient Air Quality Database) — reported as the cleanest air among Indonesian cities and within the national standard, but ~4× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³). NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: no 2022–2024 city annual mean for Denpasar/Bali could be verified — Bali is absent from the IQAir 2023 World Air Quality Report city tables (insufficient qualifying monitoring that year) and no newer official BMKG/KLHK Bali annual PM2.5 series was located. Value kept for continuity but is stale; re-verify against the next WHO database update or a Bali provincial monitoring release. Bali has no heavy industry and readings run below Jakarta/Java, though dry-season crop and rubbish burning cause local spikes. 4.2	32.3 i IQAir World Air Quality Report — Chiang Mai city annual mean (compiled from ground monitoring) Research Data as of Dec 31, 2019 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Latest cleanly-attributed city annual mean available: 32.3 µg/m³ for 2019 (IQAir compilation of ground-station data). Corroborated by peer-reviewed monitoring: 2013–2022 mean 27.5 µg/m³ (24-hour basis) and 22.7 µg/m³ annual in 2017 (Decadal Trends study, PMC11125922). Recorded as 'research' rather than a public-domain open-data register because Thailand's national monitoring authority (PCD/Air4Thai) does not publish a redistributable city annual-mean series in an accessible form. Notes Chiang Mai's annual mean masks an extreme seasonal pattern: PM2.5 is very low most of the year (~5–6 µg/m³ in the wet season) but spikes to hazardous levels during the agricultural/forest burning season (roughly Feb–Apr), when city outdoor means around 100+ µg/m³ have been recorded and Chiang Mai regularly tops global live-AQI rankings. The ~32 µg/m³ annual figure is above the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and the EU limit territory; the lived experience is far worse for 2–3 months and near-pristine the rest of the year. To be refined if the Pollution Control Department (Air4Thai) publishes a redistributable recent annual-mean series. 0.5

Healthcare

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old	3,600 i International private medical insurers (Cigna Global, Allianz Care, AXA, William Russell) — comprehensive outpatient+inpatient plans; quote on request Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Comprehensive (outpatient + inpatient, ~USD 1m+ annual limit, small deductible) international/IPMI plans for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner in Indonesia are commonly quoted around USD 200–500/month; a mid-tier comprehensive plan midpoint ≈ USD 300/month ≈ USD 3,600/year. Premiums are quoted on request (age/coverage/evacuation dependent), so this is a curated market midpoint, not a public engine quote. Local BPJS Kesehatan (mandatory public scheme for KITAS holders) is far cheaper but not a comprehensive private-cover equivalent. 3.9	1,300 i Pacific Cross Thailand / Cigna / AXA comprehensive expat plans — market midpoint; insurers quote on request Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Comprehensive (inpatient + outpatient) private medical insurance for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner: international/expat plans with solid inpatient cover run ≈ 25,000–65,000 THB/year; a healthy-35 midpoint ≈ 40,000–45,000 THB ≈ $1,200–1,350 at 33.32 THB/USD. Recorded midpoint ≈ $1,300. Local Thai policies are cheaper (12,000–35,000 THB) but carry more exclusions/territorial limits. Premiums are quoted on request, so this is a curated market midpoint, not a single public engine quote. Notes Thailand has no universal coverage for foreigners; residents typically buy private cover or pay out of pocket at Thailand's (relatively low-cost, high-quality) private hospitals. Long-stay visas (e.g. some retirement/LTR conditions) require minimum inpatient/outpatient coverage. Medical inflation ~5–8%/yr. Range ≈ $750–1,950. 7.8

Money & crypto

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Crypto regulation	Legal regulated i OJK — POJK 27/2024 (as amended by POJK 23/2025) on trading of digital financial assets incl. crypto assets Official source Data as of Aug 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Crypto is legal to hold and trade as a regulated digital financial asset (supervision moved from Bappebti to OJK on 2025-01-10 under PP 49/2024; framework in POJK 27/2024 + POJK 23/2025), but is prohibited as a means of payment (only the rupiah is legal tender). Taxed: a final PPh of 0.21% on sales via domestic licensed platforms and 1% via foreign platforms (PMK 50/2025, effective 2025-08-01); VAT on the asset transfer itself was removed. Regulated, not exemption-friendly → 'legal-regulated'. 8.0	Legal friendly i Thai SEC — Digital Asset Business regulation; and Ministerial Regulation No. 399 (personal income tax exemption on digital-asset gains, Royal Gazette 5 Sept 2025) Official source Data as of Sep 5, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Crypto ('digital assets') is legal and regulated: exchanges, brokers and dealers must be licensed by the Thai SEC under the 2018 Digital Asset Business Decree (AML/KYC). Classified 'legal-friendly' because of an explicit tax break — under Ministerial Regulation No. 399 (Royal Gazette 5 Sept 2025), capital gains from selling crypto/digital tokens through a Thai-licensed exchange/broker/dealer are exempt from personal income tax for income received 1 Jan 2025–31 Dec 2029. Trading via unlicensed foreign platforms is discouraged/blockable and not covered by the exemption. 10.0
Financial control level	Moderate i Bank Indonesia foreign-exchange regulations + DJP crypto/reporting rules (composite) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Composite: the rupiah is largely convertible and there are no hard capital controls on inbound/outbound personal transfers, but Bank Indonesia requires reporting/underlying-document evidence for FX purchases above a threshold (historically USD 25,000/month per customer without underlying documents), restricts rupiah use offshore, and mandates rupiah for domestic settlement; residents are taxed on worldwide income once tax-resident; foreigners can open local bank accounts but generally need a KITAS/KITAP and NPWP. More friction than a low-control hub, well short of strict capital controls → 'moderate'. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: the current exact FX-without-documents threshold should be re-verified against a live Bank Indonesia regulation page (fetch was JS-walled). 7.0	Moderate i Bank of Thailand — Exchange Control Regulation (foreign-exchange rules for residents and non-residents) Official source Data as of Dec 30, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Composite: Thailand operates active exchange controls administered by the Bank of Thailand. The baht is not fully liberalized; residents may hold foreign-currency deposit (FCD) accounts and remit funds, but banks must verify supporting documents for inbound FX transactions of USD 200,000+ (BOT Circular, effective 29–30 Dec 2025) and report large non-resident transfers. Residents are taxed on worldwide income only when remitted to Thailand (Revenue Department remittance rule). Non-residents can open THB/FCD accounts with authorized banks. Foreigners can bank locally but face documentation friction; there is no FBAR-style personal foreign-asset disclosure. Neither low (like the EU) nor very-high (no hard capital lock-in) → moderate. 7.0

Infrastructure

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
Domestic delivery quality	Good i Pos Indonesia + major private carriers (JNE, J&T, SiCepat, Ninja Xpress, GoSend/GrabExpress) service coverage (composite) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Dense, competitive parcel market: Pos Indonesia (national operator) plus JNE, J&T Express, SiCepat, Ninja Xpress and on-demand couriers (GoSend, GrabExpress) give 1–3 day delivery in Java and major cities and same-day intra-city; tracking is standard. Reach to remote islands is slower and address quality is uneven, so 'good' rather than 'excellent'. Parcel-locker networks are limited vs Europe. 7.0	Good i Thailand Post and major carriers (Flash Express, Kerry Express / J&T, Thailand Post) — official service/coverage pages Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Dense, competitive parcel market: Thailand Post (nationwide, ~5,000 outlets), plus private carriers Flash Express, Kerry Express, J&T Express, and platform logistics (Lazada, Shopee). 1–3 day delivery is the norm in and between cities; next-day common within Bangkok and major metros. Cash-on-delivery is widespread. Rated 'good' rather than 'excellent': coverage and tracking are strong in cities but rural/remote delivery is slower and parcel-locker networks are far less pervasive than in top-tier markets. 7.0
International delivery ease	Significant friction i Indonesian Customs (Bea Cukai) / Ministry of Finance — de-minimis lowered to USD 3 FOB (PMK 4/2025) Official source Data as of Jan 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Major carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) serve Indonesia, but the duty-free de-minimis is only USD 3 FOB per shipment (lowered from USD 75; tiered import duty 0/15/25% plus 11% VAT above that), and customs clearance on personal imports is frequently slow with brokerage fees. Low de-minimis + routine customs handling → 'significant-friction'. NEEDS MANUAL REVIEW: re-confirm the exact current PMK reference and threshold on beacukai.go.id (fetch was blocked; USD 3 figure cross-read from customs-guidance sources citing PMK 4/2025). 4.0	Significant friction i Thai Customs Department — abolition of the low-value import duty exemption (de minimis) effective 1 Jan 2026 Official source Data as of Jan 1, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Major international carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) deliver door-to-door and clearance is generally predictable in days. But friction has risen sharply: 7% import VAT applies to all parcels since July 2024, and from 1 January 2026 the 1,500 THB de-minimis duty-free threshold was abolished entirely — every imported good is now potentially subject to customs duty plus VAT, with brokerage handling fees. Combined with routine documentation requirements, this puts Thailand at 'significant-friction' for receiving goods from abroad. 4.0
Internet speedMbps, median fixed download	9.5 i M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Indonesia (2023) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2023 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Median download ≈ 9.3–9.8 Mbps across the 2023 daily country medians (~4.3M tests) from M-Lab's public NDT statistics API; recorded midpoint 9.5 Mbps. 2024/2026 aggregate files were not retrievable at the time of check. Notes M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads far below Ookla-style figures (Ookla put Indonesia fixed broadband ~28–41 Mbps in 2024–2025) — comparable only within this criterion, never mixed with Ookla. 0.0	15.9 i M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Thailand (2024) Open data Data as of Dec 31, 2024 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla's Speedtest Index put Thailand fixed-broadband median ≈ 237 Mbps in 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. Thailand's real-world fixed broadband (fibre) is among the fastest/cheapest in the region; the low M-Lab number reflects test methodology, not typical line speed. Value is the median of 2024 daily country medians from M-Lab's public stats API. 0.7

Language

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
English proficiency	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Indonesia rank 80/123, score 471 (Low Proficiency band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Indonesia scores 471 (Low band) nationally, though Jakarta scores 523 (Moderate). Bahasa Indonesia is the sole official language; English is workable in tourist/expat zones (Bali, South Jakarta) and among younger professionals, but limited in government offices and everyday services nationwide → 'low'. 2.0	Low i EF EPI 2025 — Thailand (rank 116/123, score 402, 'Very Low' band) Research Data as of Nov 1, 2025 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Notes Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First / Signum International AG). EF places Thailand nationally in the 'Very Low' band (score 402, rank 116/123), but English is markedly more workable for a resident in Bangkok (EF city score 467), tourist/expat hubs (Pattaya 474, Phuket 431, Chiang Mai 453) and the hospitality/service sector than the national score implies — hence 'low' rather than 'very-low' for day-to-day usability. Government offices and rural areas remain Thai-only in practice. 2.0

Education

Criterion	Bali	Chiang Mai
International schoolsaccredited international schools, count	20 i IB World Schools directory (find-an-ib-school, country=Indonesia) + Cambridge International 'Find a Cambridge school' (Indonesia / Bali) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Union of two accreditor registries, verified directly (both are JS-rendered, read in a browser). IB World Schools in Bali (5): Alam Kidz School Bali, Australian Independent School Indonesia (Bali), Bali Island School, Canggu Community School, Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School Bali. Cambridge-registered schools in Bali (19): ACS Bali, Asian Intercultural School Bali, Bukit Sunrise School, Canggu Community School, Cendekia Harapan, Dyatmika School, ProEd Global School, ProEd Global School Nuanu, Regents Primary School, Regents Secondary School Bali, Santosa Intercultural School, Sanur Independent School, Sekolah Lentera Kasih–Lollypop, Sekolah Stella Mundi, SPK SD CHIS Denpasar, Taman Rama Intercultural School, The Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School, Tunjung Sari School, Widya Nusantara School (* = also IB, counted once). Union = 5 + 19 − 2 overlaps = 22 registry entries; collapsing obvious same-institution campus splits (Regents Primary + Regents Secondary → 1; ProEd Global + ProEd Global Nuanu → 1) gives ~20 distinct international schools. Recorded 20. Notes Count is IB + Cambridge only (verified against each accreditor's own finder, not aggregator sites). No AEFE (French), German Auslandsschulwesen, US/College Board, or CIS/COBIS-exclusive schools were separately enumerated, so the true total accredited pool may be marginally higher; ±2 uncertainty from campus-split judgement. Whichever counting choice (20 vs 22) lands in the same scoring band. Most schools cluster in Denpasar and South Bali (Kerobokan/Canggu/Sanur/Jimbaran). 9.2	8 i IB World Schools directory + Cambridge International + WASC school accreditation statements (verified per accreditor) Curated by SettleMetric Data as of Jul 4, 2026 Verified Jul 4, 2026 Method Count of Chiang Mai international schools verified against a recognised accreditor, de-duplicated across accreditors: IB World Schools confirmed on the IBO registry — Prem Tinsulanonda (ibo.org/en/school/001366), Panyaden (061269), American Pacific (002907); Cambridge International registered schools — Varee Chiangmai, Meritton British, Lanna International (each confirmed via Cambridge 'find a school' Thailand/Chiang Mai and the schools' own Cambridge-centre statements); WASC-accredited American schools — Chiang Mai International School (CMIS, WASC since 1987) and Nakornpayap International School (NIS, WASC). Total distinct = 8. Notes ±1–2 uncertainty. Conservative floor: only schools whose accreditation I could confirm against the accreditor (IB registry, Cambridge finder, or WASC statement) are counted. Grace International School (American/AP, likely WASC/ACSI) and Christliche Deutsche Schule Chiang Mai (German) are plausibly accredited but were not confirmed against a primary accreditor registry here, so they are excluded — including them would raise the count to ~9–10. The Cambridge finder is JavaScript-rendered and could not be fully enumerated, so additional Cambridge centres may exist. 6.9