Is Chiang Mai a good place to live?

68/100 livability · Thailand
Chiang Mai, Thailand scores 68/100 for livability — a strong place to live: cost 62/100, climate 75/100, safety 67/100. Warmest-month high ~29.0°C, coldest-month low ~21.1°C. Main natural-disaster exposure: storms (hurricane/cyclone); homicide rate ~4.8/100k. Safety 67/100 blends disaster (52) and crime (86).
Chiang Mai — average monthly high (°C, WorldClim)
JFMAMJJASOND
Livability pillars (0-100)
62Cost75Climate67Safety
Disaster risk by type (1-5)
3Quake3Flood3Storm1Wildfire3Heat2Drought1Cold2Tsunami

How each score is calculated: CostiAffordability, 0–100. Higher = cheaper. = 100 − (country price level vs US × a city-size premium). Source: World Bank PPP ÷ exchange rate (US = 100). · ClimateiComfort, 0–100, from WorldClim monthly temperatures. Penalises hot summers (above ~24°C), cold winters (below ~6°C) and too-cool summers (below 15°C). Higher = milder. · Safetyi0–100. Higher = safer. Blends 55% natural-disaster safety (8 hazards — earthquake from real USGS records, plus flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold, tsunami) and 45% crime safety (homicide rate). · LivabilityiOverall score, 0–100 = 0.35 × Cost + 0.30 × Climate + 0.35 × Safety. (hover the i)

How to read the scores — all on a 0–100 scale, higher is better.

Natural-disaster risk in Chiang Mai

Is Chiang Mai at risk of earthquakes?

Earthquake risk in Chiang Mai is moderate (3/5). USGS records 90 magnitude-4.5+ earthquakes within 300 km since 1980.

Does Chiang Mai flood?

Flood risk in Chiang Mai is moderate (3/5), based on regional river/coastal flood exposure.

Does Chiang Mai get hurricanes or cyclones?

Storm risk in Chiang Mai is moderate (3/5), reflecting its tropical-cyclone/severe-storm basin.

Does Chiang Mai get dangerously hot?

Extreme-heat risk in Chiang Mai is moderate (3/5); warmest-month mean high ~29.0°C (WorldClim).

How scored: livability = 0.35·cost + 0.30·climate + 0.35·safety. Climate from WorldClim v2.1 normals; cost from World Bank PPP÷FX (real, open); earthquake from USGS (real); flood/storm/wildfire/drought/tsunami tiers indicative — verify before publish.

FAQ

Is Chiang Mai a good place to live?

Chiang Mai scores 68/100 for livability — cost 62, climate 75, safety 67.

Is Chiang Mai safe?

Safety 67/100 = disaster safety 52 (main risk storms (hurricane/cyclone)) blended with crime safety 86 (homicide ~4.8/100k).

What's the climate like in Chiang Mai?

Warmest-month highs average ~29.0°C and coldest-month lows ~21.1°C (WorldClim climate normals).

How much does it cost to live in Chiang Mai?

Thailand sits at 38/100 on the World Bank price level (US=100) — affordability score 62/100.

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