Complete Guide: Chiang Mai Apartment Monthly Rentals

Most digital nomads chose the Nimman area. Nimman has a shopping mall, a lot of options when it comes to accommodation, coworking spaces, and restaurants.

When we visited the Old City part, we didn’t see many options for accommodation.

Anyhow, having a motorbike will help while in Chiang Mai. Walking in the heat isn’t for everyone.

How To Find An Apartment In Chiang Mai

It is recommended to book accommodation for a minimum of two nights. We booked at the Echo Hotel – which was great for catching up on jetlag.

You could find a place quickly, but you might want to have a place to drop off your bag, catch up with Mr. Jet Lag and avoid any rash decision.

It should give you enough time to visit apartments in Chiang Mai, explore the area, and get the money for the rent and the flat deposit.

There are different ways to find monthly rentals in Chiang Mai.

Find a condo rental through an agency (most agencies ask for a minimum of 3 months contract)
Walk around and visit apartments on your own
Book a place via Airbnb

Here’s how we found our own monthly rental in Chiang Mai

We looked at options on Airbnb – the principal advantage with Airbnb is the fact that you won’t have to give a deposit to rent a place. Although, it means you’re going to have to pay everything upfront. Our research gave us an idea of monthly prices and what is available for short-term accommodation.
We used the agency Perfect Homes – we looked on their website first and shortlisted a few options. Then, our agent recommended other flats too. When we arrived in Chiang Mai, she took us around to look at condos. We liked the option but weren’t sure if we were keen on having to pay a two-month deposit + the rent for the month all at once.
We decided to walk around our favorite buildings and asked the reception to see the condos available. There were more options that way – we found the perfect flat. We gave a one month deposit, we paid the rent for one month, and we moved in the same day.
In November 2022, we were looking for a flat for two months only, so we walked around from building to building, and everything was fully booked until mid-December. We looked on Booking.com and we found two buildings offering apartments that still had availability, so we contacted them directly via Facebook to get a monthly rental price.

Agencies For Condo Monthly Rentals In Chiang Mai

Many agencies in Chiang Mai can help you find apartments and condos.

Although, most agencies ask for a two-month deposit. If it seems a lot, you might consider using Airbnb or finding your apartment on your own.

The two most popular agencies are:

Perfect Homes
Chiang Mai Properties

How does it work?

You contact the agency and let them know your budget, criteria, and length of stay.

They will make a list of flats to visit, and they will meet you at the first building.

From there, the agent will take you to visit other apartments around the area desired.

Tips For Finding Chiang Mai Long-Term Rentals

What kind of places are you looking for? What criteria do you have? These questions might help you get your criteria right.

What’s your budget?
Do you want to have a washing machine directly at home?
Do you want to have access to a gym and a pool?
Do you want to get your own Internet plan or would you prefer to have the Wifi included in the rent?
Are you going to drive a motorbike, a car or will you walk around Chiang Mai?

When picking a place to live in Chiang Mai, you must keep a few things in mind.

Some apartments won’t include Internet
Some apartments require a two-month deposit
Apartment rental costs will differ in function of the length of stay (12 months will get you a better deal, 3 months will get you an average deal)
It’s common that renters don’t get their deposit back – we read about it, and we heard about it. That said, make sure you read the lease contract and take videos, photos, and notes of the current state of the apartment. (As we just moved in – we will let you know how we go in a few months).

Chiang Mai Monthly Rentals & Cost Of Living

Some solo travelers will get flats for about TBH 10,000 per month, depending on the length of stay.

When we did our research, we found many options, although we were a bit picky about places.

Here’s a list of our initial criteria:

We wanted a washing machine
We wanted to have the Wifi included
We wanted the apartment for three months
We wanted to have a bigger space with divided rooms
We wanted a pool
We wanted to stay in the Nimman area

The apartments found were between TBH 16,000 and 23,000 per month.

We opted for this apartment:

41 sqm
Including a washing machine, Internet, pool, and gym
Only 10 minutes walk from our coworking space
Fully-equipped

Cost: TBH 22,000 per month (for three months) and a one-month deposit of 22,000.

Note: This apartment is quite “expensive” for Chiang Mai standards and average price. We are a couple, and we like our apartment to be more spacious, which is why we opted for this option.

Other monthly expenses in Chiang Mai

Data plan: We got 20 GB for TBH 250 per month with AIS at the Maya Shopping Mall.

Budget alternative: As our Wifi is included in our flat and we signed up for a coworking space, we could have taken a cheaper package.

Scooter rental: We rented our scooter for TBH 2,600 per month at Mango Bike Rents. Note that there’s a shortage of scooters in 2022 following the pandemic.

So, you might need to wait a few days to be able to rent a scooter in Chiang Mai.

Budget alternative: We could have decided to walk instead or take a Grab when required, but we prefer to have freedom, so we opted for the bike.

Gym plan: We got a gym plan at Gold Hillside Gym for three months for a total of TBH 2,700 which is basically TBH 900 per month.

Budget alternative: As we have a small fitness centre in our flat building, we could have avoided the gym plan, but we prefer to go to a bigger gym.

Coworking membership: We got a three months membership at Punspace for TBH 9,999 which is basically TBH 3333 per month.

Budget alternative: We could also have gone to cafés or work from home.

Price per month per person in TBH (we are a couple):

Data plan	250
Scooter	1,300
Gym	900
Coworking plan	3,333
Flat	11,000
Total	16,783 or USD 548

Accommodation Options In Chiang Mai

If you’re looking for alternatives, here are a couple of other options to consider.

Airbnb

Want to avoid losing your deposit? The best way to stay safe is to rent via Airbnb.

The only problem is that you won’t be visiting the apartment before your arrival unless you reach out to the host first.

Facebook groups

To get a great idea of the options, you could also join these Facebook groups:

Final Thoughts On Chiang Mai Apartment Monthly Rentals

As you can see, you’ll be able to find an apartment in Chiang Mai and move in quickly.

The process is relatively easy in Thailand compared to other countries.

Whether you’re looking for a short-term or a long-term rental, you’ll find something!

Need more digital nomad inspiration? Read one of the following blog posts:

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