Chiang Mai is often ranked the best place for digital nomads not just in Thailand, but also in the entire world. No matter what happens in the world - a COVID pandemic, visa restrictions and the attraction of upcoming countries such as Vietnam, there is always a digital nomad community in town and Chiang Mai will always have some digital nomads now and in the foreseeable future.
For digital nomads, the first step to get established in Chiang Mai is to find the best places and areas to live in.
Below you’ll find my best pick list of the best condos for rent in Chiang Mai for digital nomads. From great condos with pool and gym to well-situated ones in Nimman area and outside the old city, these are the ones to pay attention to first. But first some general observations:
The cost of living for digital nomads in Thailand is amongst the lowest in the world. This leaves you with more budget to rent a comfortable and convenient condo, which is the key to a great life of working remotely.
The market for renting a serviced apartment in Chiang Mai has always been rather competitive and also seasonal: in the high season (approximately November to February) the more popular condominiums and serviced apartments may get full and prices can be quite high. Also, large influxes of Chinese have increased prices.
But things have changed drastically with COVID-19: the number of foreigners visiting Chiang Mai has drastically dropped and one can hardly speak of a high season. This situation is likely to last at least for 1-2 years or at least until things have ‘normalised’ with COVID-19 to a ‘new normal’.
Although this is sad for all the SME businesses in town, it’s good news for digital nomads’ wallets. Right now, you’ll be able to find a modern one-bedroom apartment with swimming pool and gym for as low as ฿7,500/month. In the pre-COVID past, these were hard-to-find prices and usually you had to pay at least ฿10,000/month to rent it short term as a foreigner.
Example of a great new condo in Chiang Mai at pretty low prices
That is definitely a question that many digital nomads ask themselves when moving to a new place. Living in a hotel is great with reception staff constantly present to help and with all the convenient (and perhaps luxureous) features in the building. You’d also potentially have breakfast included each morning which is a good start of the day to getting some work done.
On the other hand, living in a condo will make you feel more at home. Cook your own meals, have a faster internet connection (extremely important!) and a more spacious place to live in. Ideally, like in a decent hotel, you’d also have a swimming pool and a gym.
What’s best for you of course depends on your personal preferences, but in general, from a digital nomad’s point of view, living in a condo will give you more value for your money and it's is more pleasant and comfortable on the long run.
Now here's my shortlist of the most preferred condominium buildings for digital nomads in Chiang Mai (in random order):
Address: soi 5 Siri Mangkalajarn, Chiang Mai
Sirimangkalajan area is just east of Nimman and often considered to be part of the (greater) Nimman area. This is a perfect, quiet location for those who like the buzz of Nimman but you don’t want to stay in the middle of it, with all the noise and motorcycles driving up and down during the night.
The Siri Condominium is a great new condominium well situated at the end of a quiet soi, just off the busy area of Nimman. There are always enough units for rent and it features an amazing swimming pool and a gym. Even if you pay a bit more for your condo, having the gym included will save the costs of membership of an external gym.
Because it’s a very new building, most units are still very beautiful so it’s hard to go wrong here.
Needless to say, there are ample restaurants and hang out places in the surrounding streets and in Nimman itself, albeit that most are a bit more expensive than places in say Jet Yod or Santitham area, but that just comes with dining out in Nimman. For insiders, however, there still are plenty of amazing and fairly cheap places to eat in Nimman.
The Treasure Condominium is located more or less on the outer east side of the city, not far from Central Festival, Big C Extra and a business park. This is, compared to lively Nimman or Santitam, a completely different area, not downtown but on the edge of the city with some more local scenes and with the convenience of the largest shopping mall in Northern Thailand in the vicinity.
The Treasure Condominium consists of a few blocks of buildings with a vast number of available units. It’s one of the best condos for rent in Chiang Mai for digital nomads for the fact that it’s quiet, you can work peacefully with high-speed internet and it’s clean. You also have lots of places to work at less than 1 mile away. In addition, there’s a night market downstairs to eat cheap and delicious Thai food.
There’s 24hr security at the gate, welcoming staff, and a massive pool.
The Treasure Condo in Chiang Mai
By the same developer and in the same area: My Hip Condo Chiang Mai
Address: Hussadhisawee road, Chiang Mai
The D' Vieng Condo in Santitham offers the best combination of modernism, great location, and luxury living. The building is clean, beautiful, and it has a parking lot, a gym, and a pool.
Nearby are the local Siri-Wattana market, the Tesco Lotus Express 200 meters away, and endless local restaurants.
Santitam area is strategically located not far from the Old Town and Nimman area. It is rather densely built with sometimes narrow streets, lots of houses, shops and apartment buidings often for students of the nearby Rajabhat University. Some people call Santitam area ‘the new Nimman’, because Nimmanhaemin area has become more commercialised and taken over by big brands, while Santitam still retains some local atmosphere with small shops and a local crowd.
Last but not least, there’s the Advice computer store and Computer Plaza nearby in case you need extra equipment for work or in case you have issues with your laptop.
Address: Nimmanheaminda rd. Soi Sukkasem, Chiangmai
If you’re willing to spend above average to get a premium apartment in a beautiful condo, the Unique @ Nimman is what you’re looking for. Nestled in the heart of Nimman area, you’ll find Maya Shopping Mall, Nimman road with it’s many shops restaurants, and many co-working spaces all within walking distance.
The Unique features a wonderful swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym, and modern apartments with fast internet. They only offer contracts for 6 months or a year, which makes a bit more difficult depending on your visa. However, if you’re able to stay in Thailand for a longer period of time, this is a great option.
Like in most modern condominium buildings, there’s a security guard at the gate 24/7. Finally, there are sufficient parking lots on the street and in the basement.
Address: 220 Chonpratan Rd, (Canal Rd.), Chiang Mai
The Mountain Front Condominium is one of the most beautiful condos for rent in Chiang Mai and the building offers one of the best views you can get. It is close to the mountains and it’s the perfect escape from the busy life in Nimman and the old city.
There’s a small pool and a gym and generally there is a quiet atmosphere in and around the building, especially beneficial for digital nomads who need green and peaceful surroundings to get work done.
There are some restaurants in the vicinity but it’s a bit far from the city: Nimman is doable on a motorcycle but the Old Town is rather far.
The Palm Springs Condo complex is posh, clean and luxurious for Thai standards, and it has a fantastic location, just between Huay Kaew road and Nimman soi 5.
There are plenty of places to eat nearby, and you can choose between two malls for groceries and shopping: Maya Mall and Central Kad Suan Kaew. It’s also not far from the old city which is convenient to get to the Sunday night market.
The condo complex features a swimming pool and of course the usual 24h security.
The only drawback of the Palm Springs Condo is the high price of the apartments, however, given all the features above, this is justified.
The Astra Condominium is another very new and luxury building, suitable for those who want to stay near the river and the Night Bazaar.
The building offers a so-called infinity pool, a well-equipped and modern gym, and nice apartments to work in.
There are endless restaurants nearby as well as along the Ping River to relax after a challenging day at work.
There is a Rimping Supermarket just across the river.
Finding the right condo for digital nomads is fairly easy and you should join the Facebook group on condos for sale and for rent to check out the latest offers. Alternatively, you can ask the receptions of the condos of your choice or check out the owner’s board that’s usually hanging in the lobby with advertisements of units for rent (don’t forget to ask for the cost of the utility bills and internet).
By Stefan of TricksandTrips.com for Chiang Mai Locator
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