Wat Chiang Man is one of my favorite temples in the old city that sees fewer crowds.

Chiang Mai is a very easy place to live for a few months or longterm.  I’ve been living in Chiang Mai every winter since 2018 and now have a five-year DTV (Destination Thailand Visa for remote workers) that makes it easy to come and go.

In this post, I’ve answered the most common questions I get asked about living in Chiang Mai, including long-term rentals, travel medical insurance, eSIM cards and gyms. Keep reading so you can spend less time worrying about logistics and more time enjoying Chiang Mai.

Need more help planning a Thailand trip? Check out my Thailand travel guide. I’ve also made in-depth posts on the best things to do in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no cost to you, which goes toward the cost of maintaining this blog.

Weekly & Monthly Room Rentals in Chiang Mai 

There’s no shortage of monthly rentals in town. The best ones book out in advance. I’ve included several locations to show the wide variety of options. I prefer to pay $300-400/month personally depending on if I get a studio or a one-bedroom. Electric and water is usually not included. (I pay around $50USD/month for utilities.) A one-month deposit is also required.

Mirror Chiang Mai – These apartments are family-owned with both one- and two-bedroom units ranging from $540-840 USD/month. The same company owns PT Residences next door, which offers clean but dated apartments starting at $300/month. Weekly cleanings are included.

Huay Kaew Residence – This is the most budget friendly and centrally located spot in town for both the old city and Nimman. The good news: there’s a pool and the complex is huge so there’s always availability. The bad news: the beds are literally like sleeping on a wooden board. Studios start around 3,500 baht/$117 USD per month for 24 square meters.

Liv@Nimman – This modern condo building is swanky and includes a stunning pool. It’s located in the heart of Nimman near Maya Mall. One bedroom apartments start at $672/month.

Green Hill Place – This modern apartment building has two NICE pools and a gym. It’s located by Maya Mall.  One bedroom units start at 10,000 baht/$336 USD.

The Best Coworking Spaces in Chiang Mai

The Coco Club cowrking in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

There’s new coworking spaces opening all the time, and it’s best to choose a place based on where you live. Cafes are always a great backup option. I’ve always gone to Punspace, which has only two locations in old town because their Nimman branch closed during the pandemic. (Wiang Kaew is the most social of the two branches.) 

In Nimman, there is Yellow,  a large space that’s always packed, and the newest addition is OpenHub near Maya Mall is great for coworking and private offices. Another popular workspace is CAMP, a cafe in Maya Mall, that’s open 8 a.m. to midnight.

Other options include Hub53 (offers unlimited and hourly plans) and the Bali-style luxury of The Coco Club offering day passes and a swanky pool!

Car & Motorbike Rentals in Chiang Mai

Motorbikes can be rented just about anywhere in town for roughly 200 baht/day ($6.60 USD). There’s several places along Huay Kaew Road. 

SAFETY ALERT: If you don’t have a Thai license or an international motorcycle license, most travel insurance companies will NOT cover you if there’s an accident. The police also set up regular check points around the city and fines are 500 baht ($16.50 USD)  if you don’t have a proper license.

I’ve rented a car from Budgetcatcher Car and Scooter Rental in Nimman and had a great experience. It was roughly $30/day for a car. 

Where’s the best place to buy an eSIM card
in Chiang Mai?

The easiest thing to do is buy a Thailand specific eSIM card from Airalo that will work instantly when you arrive. If you are traveling to multiple countries in Southeast Asia on a short trip, then consider one of their Asia Regional eSIM cards. (Both the country-specific and regional eSIMs have worked wonderfully for me and even have a mobile hotspot option that’s critical for me because I’m always working remotely.)  Keep in mind it’s always cheaper to buy a country specific eSIM than a regional one. For more details, read my Airalo review for Southeast Asia. 

 Be sure to join the free Airalo Loyalty Program to earn 5% cash back for every purchase, which can be redeemed on future purchases. For more about eSIM cards, check out this post!!  Airalo Promo Codes: New customers save 15% off with NEWTOAIRALO15 and existing users save 10% with AIRALOESIM10.  

If you’re going to be traveling in Thailand for while, then buying a local SIM or eSIM when you arrive will offer the best value and maximum data. The main carriers are AIS, DTAC and TrueMove. I’ve always used AIS so that’s my preference since coverage is good everywhere I’ve been in the country. You have to show your passport to get a SIM card, which is pretty common in most countries. It’s always more expensive to buy it at the airport.

When I arrived in Thailand, I bought a 30-day plan with 6 GB from AIS in airport for $19 USD. When I topped it up at the AIS in Maya Mall, they offered me a new sim card with a better plan with unlimited data for $8.28 USD. You can top up at machines at 7Elevens or at the retail stores for all the main carriers.

The Best Gyms in Chiang Mai

Maxx Fitness at Maya Mall

These gyms are located around the Nimman area and I’ve tried them all! (I am picky about gyms when it comes to equipment and air conditioning.) Prices can change frequently so be sure to check with the gyms directly!

Maxx Fitness – This is the nicest gym in the Nimman area and the priciest. It’s located in the Maya Mall and has excellent air circulation and climate control. The equipment is all new and classes are offered. The monthly membership fee is 1,699 baht ($50 USD).

Jett Fitness – This chain gym is located in the One Nimman shopping complex. It’s actually a fairly small and awkward space, so I decided to stick to Maxx Fitness instead. They have a good amount of equipment, but Maxx is still best in my opinion.

Playground Fitness Chiang Mai – When this gym opened, I initially didn’t like it because it was a small space, and the main floor area was used for classes in the mornings and evenings. It’s moved to a new space, so perhaps things are better. Monthly memberships start at 2,000 baht/ $64 USD. Sai 26 Road Suthep.

Harris Fitness Center – This is one of the most budget options in town located in the Lotus Hotel. It’s a cramped space with older equipment but lots of options. Classes are also included for free.  The staff is really friendly. It doesn’t have great airflow or a/c. Rates are 1,250 baht/month ($42 USD) and 600 baht weekly ($20). 21 Huaykaew Rd.

Gold Hillside Gym & Fitness – (1,100 baht/$37 USD month) This gym is located in the bottom of Hillside Condo 3. It’s a nice-sized space but a bit dated. It’s got good airflow but just didn’t have the equipment I wanted. 50 Huaykaew Rd.

The Wall Fitness & Studio – (1,000 baht/$30 USD month or 100 baht/$3 USD day) This new modern gym is located behind the Maya Mall. It’s a large space filled with lots of equipment. Daily and monthly passes are available. (This is the only one I haven’t tried yet because I just love Maxx so much.) 49/22 Huay Kaew Rd.

Vira Yoga Studio – My friend Wee has a great yoga studio that I recommend. Class schedules can be found online. He also teaches the 8:30 a.m. class Maxx Fitness on Wednesdays, too.

Best Muay Thai Gyms in Chiang Mai

There is a Muay Thai gym in every corner of the city, but I love Heavy Hit Boxing Gym located southeast of the city. This gym is only pad work and by appointment only (1.5 hours, 350 baht), so it feels like more one-on-one training. There’s never more than a handful of people here. I feel like there’s more individual instruction here to help me improve my form. I’d recommend Heavy Hit first if you’re new to Muay Thai. Book via Facebook or Line.

Bear Fight Club Chiang Mai is another spot I frequent because I like the trainers. (They just moved to a bigger location south of town.) Classes are roughly 2.5 hours and 400 baht. It’s the most intense and also the most crowded, which is intimidating if you’re new. It can get too crowded for me, so I will only go early on weekdays. If you want to train to fight, this is the spot. (I haven’t tried the new location yet but I bet it’s bigger!)

The other option I’ve tired is Chiang Mai Muay Thai, which has the most frequent class times. Classes are shorter (1.5 hours) for 390 baht. It’s located in the old city and can also get slammed with people.

Chiang Mai Medical Care & Insurance 

SafetyWing travel medical insurance covers Thailand and over 180 countries

Do you need travel medical insurance for Chiang Mai?

Yes, travel medical insurance is one of the most important things to purchase for any trip abroad, especially to Thailand. It covers everything that could go wrong, from injuries to travel delays, so that you don’t have to worry and can focus on traveling!

When I’m in Chiang Mai, I always buy SafetyWing’s Nomad Essential Insurance policy. It offers $0 deductible travel medical insurance coverage for only a few dollars a day! If you get sick or injured abroad, you can visit any hospital or doctor.

In addition to SafetyWing, I have a global health insurance policy through Cigna Global using Chiang Mai as my base. The policy covers my routine care for an annual physical but has a high deductible for anything else, which is why I also buy a SafetyWing policy in addition to it. I dig into the details in my Why I Go Abroad for Health Care post.  

Other benefits of SafetyWing Nomad Insurance include coverage for lost checked luggage, travel delays over 12 hours, motor accidents (if properly licensed, wearing all safety equipment and not intoxicated) and injuries from sports or leisure activities. You can even add adventure sports, electronics theft and U.S. coverage (for non-residents) to your policy. I love that their customer support lets you talk with a REAL human 24/7. 

For more details, read my review of my experience with SafetyWing’s medical coverage and travel delay benefits.

Where to get Medical Care in Chiang Mai 

The medical care in Thailand’s private hospitals is FANTASTIC, efficient and affordable. In Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai RAM near the old city and Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai near Central Festival mall are the two main hospitals.

I’ve been to Bangkok Hospital many times and the facilities are really nice. (I get all of my routine annual health checks done in Thailand every year, which I’ve written about in this blog post with a full cost breakdown. I even get travel vaccines in Thailand because it’s easier and cheaper than the U.S.)

For medicine, Dara Pharmacy near Central Festival Mall will have any medication you need and it will be at least half the price of Bangkok Hospital. The British drugstore chains of Watson’s and Boots are also great but don’t always have every medicine. 

Where to get a haircut in Chiang Mai

While there’s plenty of places around to get a haircut, I like New York New York in Nimman. It’s an Aveda salon, and they do a good job. (I’ve had so many terrible haircuts abroad that I’m really picky about places since I have short hair!) Prices range from 550-850 baht ($18-28 USD) for a wash and cut.