Climate · Asia
Chiang Mai climate, year-round
Thailand · Tropical highland · Updated May 2026
Best months
Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb
Best for: Tropical-highland nomads who time around burning season (March–April) and ride the cool-dry wave.
Year at a glance
Cells coloured by typical daytime average temperature. ★ = best months for nomads.
Jan
22°C
60%
0mm
Feb
25°C
50%
0mm
Mar
28°C
50%
1mm
Apr
30°C
55%
2mm
May
29°C
70%
5mm
Jun
28°C
75%
6mm
Jul
27°C
80%
5mm
Aug
27°C
82%
7mm
Sep
27°C
82%
8mm
Oct
26°C
78%
4mm
Nov
24°C
70%
1mm
Dec
22°C
65%
0mm
Summer peak
30°C
April · 55% humidity
Winter low
22°C
January · 60% humidity
Climate type
Tropical highland
Dry summers, Moderate winters
Field notes
November to February is the magic window — cool mornings (sometimes 12°C), warm dry afternoons. Burning season (mid-February to mid-April) drops air quality to genuinely unhealthy levels for 6–8 weeks; most regulars relocate. Monsoon (May–October) is wet but cooler than Bangkok.
Cost of living in Chiang Mai: ~$1,030/mo
Mid-tier monthly across rent, food, transport, utilities, and coworking.
Cities with a similar climate
Editorial estimates aggregated from public climatological summaries — typical monthly averages, not forecasts. Treat as order-of-magnitude. Microclimate, altitude, and recent extreme weather can swing these values significantly.