Chengdu vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Chengdu (China) · Overall index 33.6 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 23% cheaper than Chengdu.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 34% cheaper than in Chengdu.
- Transport in Chiang Mai is 24% cheaper than in Chengdu.
| Item | Chengdu | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -34% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $643 | $477 | -26% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $495 | $325 | -34% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,315 | $805 | -39% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $805 | $542 | -33% |
| Groceries | -21% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.55 | $0.53 | -4% |
| White bread (500g) | $2 | $1.44 | -28% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.14 | $1.68 | -21% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.99 | $1.78 | -11% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.75 | $4.79 | -17% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.46 | $4.84 | -25% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.84 | $6.72 | -14% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.31 | $2.14 | -7% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.01 | $0.79 | -22% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.21 | $1.82 | -18% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.67 | $2.21 | -17% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.45 | $1.07 | -26% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.35 | $0.94 | -30% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.33 | $0.93 | -30% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.17 | $0.87 | -26% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.23 | $5.67 | -22% |
| Transport | -24% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.05 | $0.71 | -32% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $42.4 | $38.2 | -10% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.56 | $1.11 | -29% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.75 | $0.56 | -25% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.39 | $0.29 | -26% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,179 | $8,510 | -16% |
| Dining out | -18% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.02 | $6.98 | -23% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $50.3 | $40 | -20% |
| Fast food combo meal | $4.32 | $3.87 | -10% |
| Cappuccino | $2.01 | $1.62 | -19% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.96 | $0.9 | -6% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.9 | $2.41 | -17% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.18 | $2.63 | -17% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.87 | $0.64 | -26% |
| Telecom | -23% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $33.9 | $24.9 | -27% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $32.1 | $26.6 | -17% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.2 | $0.15 | -25% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.74 | $6.1 | -21% |
| Utilities & household | -20% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $77.7 | $67.6 | -13% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.1 | $0.08 | -20% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.02 | $1.58 | -22% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.71 | $0.56 | -21% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.5 | $8.03 | -24% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $38.9 | $32.5 | -16% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.45 | $6.4 | -14% |
| Men's haircut | $15.1 | $10.6 | -30% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $12.3 | $9.66 | -21% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,005 | $810 | -19% |
3,379 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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