Best Places to Stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand for Digital Nomads
What Nomads Love About Chiang Mai
Tucked into northern Thailand’s green hills, Chiang Mai offers a slower pace without sacrificing modern comforts. Digital nomads flock here for reliable Wifi, cheap monthly apartments, and dozens of cozy cafés and coworking spaces. If you settle in Nimmanhaemin or near the Old City’s temples, life in Chiang Mai blends productivity, culture, and calm, all for a fraction of big city prices.
Find the best places to stay in Chiang Mai verified by digital nomads.
Monthly Nomad helps remote workers find trusted, long-term apartments worldwide. Verified by real nomads.
What do the Nomad Badges mean?
✅ Nomad Pick – Meets our essential criteria for remote work
Private kitchen with utensils
Workspace or desk area
Reliable WiFi speed
Washing machine
Towels, linens, and hairdryer
No large security deposit
High rating (on their booking platform)
Flexible stays — available by the month or longer
→ Nomad Pick ✅ badge: Only stays that meet these qualifications
🏆 Nomad Verified – Vetted by nomads based on real stays and reviews
Everything from our Nomad Pick essential criteria for remote work ⚡️ ✅
➕ Each apartment has been verified by a digital nomad who has stayed and worked there. So you can take out the guess work when looking for a good stay.
Each Verified listing includes firsthand feedback on Wi-Fi reliability, work setup, neighborhood, and overall comfort for remote work.
→ 🏆 Nomad Verified = approved by nomads, for nomads.
Please note* Prices vary by time of year.
Long Term Stays in Chiang Mai for Digital Nomads
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.91/5 (142 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.94/5 (34 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.85/5 (20 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: 300/41 (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.5/5 (81 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: 50/20 (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.78/5 (46 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.93/5 (190 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airnb
✅ Nomad Pick
- Wifi Speed: 304/300 (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.77/5 (22 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.84/5 (37 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: 380/350 (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.96/5 (50 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 8.6 (254 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Nimman
- Booking Platform: booking.com
✅ Nomad Pick
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 4.94/5 (84 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Baan Plop\y
- Booking Platform: Airbnb
✅ Nomad Pick
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 9.5 (33 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Phra Sing
- Booking Platform: booking.com
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 9.2 (176 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Chang Klan
- Booking Platform: booking.com
🏆 Nomad Verified
- Wifi Speed: Standard (Mbps)
- Platform Rating: 9.2 (298 reviews)
- Neighborhood: Chang Khlan
- Booking Platform: booking.com
Guide for Digital Nomads Staying in Chiang Mai
Finding Monthly Stays in Chiang Mai: What You Need to Know
Chiang Mai is the original digital nomad city and remains one of the most affordable, comfortable places in the world for remote work. Monthly stays here range from $400 for a basic studio in local areas to $1,000+ for a modern condo with amenities in prime locations. The city has been welcoming remote workers for over a decade, creating an established infrastructure of coworking spaces, fast internet, expat services, and a tight-knit nomad community. Chiang Mai’s lower cost of living, mountain setting, and cultural richness make it ideal for bootstrapped founders, freelancers, and anyone building something while keeping expenses lean.
Visa information and why Chiang Mai works for Digital Nomads
Visa Update (Critical): The visa landscape has improved significantly, most nationalities receive a 60 day Visa Exemption on arrival (extendable for 30 days at an immigration office), Thailand now offers the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). The DTV is a 5-year multiple-entry visa allowing a stay of up to 180 days per entry, extendable once for a total of 360 days per visit. This eliminates the need for frequent border runs for long-term remote workers, though it requires an application outside of Thailand and proof of at least ฿500,000 (~$14,000 USD) in savings.
Connectivity: The internet is reliable, most apartments and coworking spaces offer 100+ Mbps connections, which are more than sufficient for video calls and remote work. Chiang Mai pioneered the coworking movement in Southeast Asia, with legendary spaces like Punspace and dozens of cafes set up specifically for laptop workers.
Community: The community of digital nomads here is unmatched, weekly meetups, skill-sharing sessions, and a culture of collaboration make it easy to build genuine friendships and professional connections.
Best Neighborhoods in Chiang Mai for Digital Nomads
Nimman (Nimmanhaemin Road)
Nimman is ground zero for Chiang Mai’s digital nomad scene. This compact neighborhood packs in coworking spaces, specialty coffee shops, international restaurants, gyms, and modern condos within walking distance. It’s the most expensive area, but you can live car-free and be steps from everything you need. Expect to pay $500–$1,000/month for a modern studio or one-bedroom condo. The vibe is young, international, and productivity-focused.
Old City
The Old City offers a more cultural experience, with ancient temples, traditional markets, and guesthouses converted into monthly rentals. Rent is cheaper, running $400–$600/month for comfortable long-term stays, and you’re immersed in Thai life while still close to cafes and coworking. The Old City works well for nomads who prioritize authenticity and don’t mind occasional traffic when commuting to Nimman for meetups.
Santitham
Santitham sits just north of the Old City and has become popular with longer-term nomads seeking local vibes and lower prices. You’ll find affordable apartments , neighborhood restaurants, and a growing cafe scene. It’s quieter and more residential, ideal for focused work periods when you want to avoid the Nimman social scene.
What to Expect Living in Chiang Mai
Weather & Air Quality: Chiang Mai’s weather has three seasons:
- cool (November–February, perfect),
- hot (March–May, brutal), and
- rainy (June–October, manageable).
The “Burning Season” (typically late February to early April) brings serious air quality issues (high AQI) due to agricultural burning, and many long-term nomads choose to relocate during this period.
Transportation: The city is walkable in certain areas, but most nomads rent a scooter ($60–$100/month) for freedom. Grab and red songthaews (shared trucks) cover transportation for those without bikes.
Budget: Total monthly costs typically run $1,000–$1,600/month including rent, food, coworking, and scooter rental. This remains one of the lowest costs of living for any city with such solid nomad infrastructure.
