Beijing vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Beijing (China) · Overall index 43.4 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 40% cheaper than Beijing.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 58% cheaper than in Beijing.
- Dining out in Chiang Mai is 39% cheaper than in Beijing.
| Item | Beijing | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -58% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,210 | $477 | -61% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $654 | $325 | -50% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,286 | $805 | -65% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,225 | $542 | -56% |
| Groceries | -35% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.75 | $0.53 | -29% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.35 | $1.44 | -39% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.05 | $1.68 | -45% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.51 | $1.78 | -29% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.18 | $4.79 | -33% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.51 | $4.84 | -26% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.2 | $6.72 | -34% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.16 | $2.14 | -32% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.08 | $0.79 | -27% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.56 | $1.82 | -29% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.81 | $2.21 | -21% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.88 | $1.07 | -43% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.54 | $0.94 | -39% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.5 | $0.93 | -38% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.52 | $0.87 | -43% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $9.64 | $5.67 | -41% |
| Transport | -38% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.16 | $0.71 | -39% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $59.6 | $38.2 | -36% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.93 | $1.11 | -42% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.86 | $0.56 | -35% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.47 | $0.29 | -38% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $14,148 | $8,510 | -40% |
| Dining out | -39% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $12.9 | $6.98 | -46% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $63.4 | $40 | -37% |
| Fast food combo meal | $6.18 | $3.87 | -37% |
| Cappuccino | $2.85 | $1.62 | -43% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.38 | $0.9 | -35% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $4.1 | $2.41 | -41% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.8 | $2.63 | -31% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.15 | $0.64 | -44% |
| Telecom | -35% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $41.6 | $24.9 | -40% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $39.8 | $26.6 | -33% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.21 | $0.15 | -29% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $9.77 | $6.1 | -38% |
| Utilities & household | -32% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $91.2 | $67.6 | -26% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.14 | $0.08 | -43% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.62 | $1.58 | -40% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.86 | $0.56 | -35% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $11.8 | $8.03 | -32% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $45 | $32.5 | -28% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.83 | $6.4 | -18% |
| Men's haircut | $17.1 | $10.6 | -38% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $13.8 | $9.66 | -30% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,236 | $810 | -34% |
3,357 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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