Four destinations compared with everywhere
Four destinations chosen for spread rather than for ranking — one Southeast Asian capital, one European city, one Latin American capital and one small-city favourite — with every comparison page we hold for each.
The short answer
Four destinations, one in each of the places remote workers actually shortlist, with every comparison we hold for them: Bangkok (45), Lisbon (41), Mexico City (50) and Chiang Mai (45) — 181 comparisons in all.
The four are not interchangeable. Chiang Mai costs $1,000 a month and Lisbon $2,400 — the same overall score band for well over twice the money, and the reason is not quality of life, it is air and internet moving in opposite directions.
| City | Country | Cost / month | Overall | Internet | Safety | Air | Comparisons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | Thailand | $1,400 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 45 |
| Lisbon | Portugal | $2,100 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 41 |
| Mexico City | Mexico | $1,500 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 50 |
| Chiang Mai | Thailand | $1,000 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 45 |
2026 figures. Cost is one person, one month. Scores run 0-5.
Read the air column against the cost column. Chiang Mai scores 2.6 for air quality and Lisbon 3.7, and Chiang Mai's figure is an annual average that hides a severe burning season between roughly February and April — which we cover in detail on the burning season page. Mexico City scores 3.0 for air, the lowest of the four.
How this page was built. Every comparison linked here is generated from one dataset of 500 cities in 100 countries, scored on the same seven-point scale for cost of living, internet, safety, walkability, weather, air quality and things to do. Costs are a single monthly figure for one person living, not holidaying — rent, food, transport and utilities — held in whole hundreds of US dollars because that is the precision the underlying sources support. The groupings and every count on this page are computed from that dataset at build time, not entered by hand. Read the full method on the methodology page.
Bangkok compared with 45 comparisons
Bangkok vs AmsterdamBangkok vs BarcelonaBangkok vs BerlinBangkok vs BudapestBangkok vs Buenos AiresBangkok vs BusanBangkok vs CangguBangkok vs Cape TownBangkok vs Chiang MaiBangkok vs Da NangBangkok vs DubaiBangkok vs FlorianópolisBangkok vs FukuokaBangkok vs FunchalBangkok vs George TownBangkok vs HanoiBangkok vs Ho Chi Minh CityBangkok vs IstanbulBangkok vs Ko Pha NganBangkok vs Ko SamuiBangkok vs KrakówBangkok vs Kuala LumpurBangkok vs KyotoBangkok vs Las PalmasBangkok vs LisbonBangkok vs MadridBangkok vs MedellínBangkok vs Mexico CityBangkok vs MálagaBangkok vs OaxacaBangkok vs OsakaBangkok vs ParisBangkok vs PhuketBangkok vs Playa del CarmenBangkok vs PortoBangkok vs PragueBangkok vs SeoulBangkok vs Singapore (CBD)Bangkok vs SplitBangkok vs TaipeiBangkok vs TallinnBangkok vs TbilisiBangkok vs TokyoBangkok vs UbudBangkok vs Valencia
Lisbon compared with 41 comparisons
Lisbon vs AmsterdamLisbon vs AthensLisbon vs BangkokLisbon vs BarcelonaLisbon vs BerlinLisbon vs BudapestLisbon vs Buenos AiresLisbon vs CangguLisbon vs Cape TownLisbon vs Chiang MaiLisbon vs Da NangLisbon vs DubaiLisbon vs EriceiraLisbon vs FlorianópolisLisbon vs FunchalLisbon vs George TownLisbon vs Ho Chi Minh CityLisbon vs IstanbulLisbon vs KrakówLisbon vs Kuala LumpurLisbon vs LagosLisbon vs Las PalmasLisbon vs MadridLisbon vs MedellínLisbon vs Mexico CityLisbon vs MálagaLisbon vs OaxacaLisbon vs ParisLisbon vs Playa del CarmenLisbon vs PortoLisbon vs PragueLisbon vs SeoulLisbon vs SplitLisbon vs TaipeiLisbon vs TallinnLisbon vs TbilisiLisbon vs TokyoLisbon vs UbudLisbon vs ValenciaLisbon vs ViennaLisbon vs Warsaw
Mexico City compared with 50 comparisons
Mexico City vs AmsterdamMexico City vs AntiguaMexico City vs AustinMexico City vs BangkokMexico City vs BarcelonaMexico City vs BerlinMexico City vs BogotáMexico City vs BudapestMexico City vs Buenos AiresMexico City vs CangguMexico City vs Cape TownMexico City vs Chiang MaiMexico City vs CuencaMexico City vs CórdobaMexico City vs Da NangMexico City vs DubaiMexico City vs FlorianópolisMexico City vs FunchalMexico City vs George TownMexico City vs Ho Chi Minh CityMexico City vs IstanbulMexico City vs KrakówMexico City vs Kuala LumpurMexico City vs Las PalmasMexico City vs LimaMexico City vs LisbonMexico City vs MadridMexico City vs MedellínMexico City vs MendozaMexico City vs MontrealMexico City vs MálagaMexico City vs New YorkMexico City vs OaxacaMexico City vs ParisMexico City vs Playa del CarmenMexico City vs PortoMexico City vs PragueMexico City vs Puerto VallartaMexico City vs Rio de JaneiroMexico City vs SeoulMexico City vs SplitMexico City vs TaipeiMexico City vs TallinnMexico City vs TbilisiMexico City vs TokyoMexico City vs TorontoMexico City vs TulumMexico City vs UbudMexico City vs ValenciaMexico City vs Vancouver
Chiang Mai compared with 45 comparisons
Chiang Mai vs AmsterdamChiang Mai vs BangkokChiang Mai vs BarcelonaChiang Mai vs BerlinChiang Mai vs BudapestChiang Mai vs Buenos AiresChiang Mai vs BusanChiang Mai vs CangguChiang Mai vs Cape TownChiang Mai vs Da NangChiang Mai vs DubaiChiang Mai vs FlorianópolisChiang Mai vs FukuokaChiang Mai vs FunchalChiang Mai vs George TownChiang Mai vs HanoiChiang Mai vs Ho Chi Minh CityChiang Mai vs IstanbulChiang Mai vs Ko Pha NganChiang Mai vs Ko SamuiChiang Mai vs KrakówChiang Mai vs Kuala LumpurChiang Mai vs KyotoChiang Mai vs Las PalmasChiang Mai vs LisbonChiang Mai vs MadridChiang Mai vs MedellínChiang Mai vs Mexico CityChiang Mai vs MálagaChiang Mai vs OaxacaChiang Mai vs OsakaChiang Mai vs ParisChiang Mai vs PhuketChiang Mai vs Playa del CarmenChiang Mai vs PortoChiang Mai vs PragueChiang Mai vs SeoulChiang Mai vs Singapore (CBD)Chiang Mai vs SplitChiang Mai vs TaipeiChiang Mai vs TallinnChiang Mai vs TbilisiChiang Mai vs TokyoChiang Mai vs UbudChiang Mai vs Valencia
Common follow-up questions
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes, by a long way. Chiang Mai costs $1,000 a month for one person against Lisbon's $2,400 — Lisbon is 140% dearer.
Which of the four has the best air quality?
Lisbon, at 3.7 out of 5. Bangkok scores 2.8, Chiang Mai 2.6 as an annual average, and Mexico City 3.0.