Taipei vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Taipei (Taiwan) · Overall index 47.4 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 45% cheaper than Taipei.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 63% cheaper than in Taipei.
- Transport in Chiang Mai is 45% cheaper than in Taipei.
| Item | Taipei | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -63% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,266 | $477 | -62% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $822 | $325 | -60% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,494 | $805 | -68% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,378 | $542 | -61% |
| Groceries | -40% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.76 | $0.53 | -30% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.57 | $1.44 | -44% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.31 | $1.68 | -49% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.13 | $1.78 | -43% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.9 | $4.79 | -39% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.86 | $4.84 | -29% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $11.4 | $6.72 | -41% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.13 | $2.14 | -32% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.26 | $0.79 | -37% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.04 | $1.82 | -40% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $3.62 | $2.21 | -39% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.63 | $1.07 | -34% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.84 | $0.94 | -49% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.73 | $0.93 | -46% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.39 | $0.87 | -37% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $10.5 | $5.67 | -46% |
| Transport | -45% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.48 | $0.71 | -52% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $67.1 | $38.2 | -43% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.29 | $1.11 | -52% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.98 | $0.56 | -43% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.54 | $0.29 | -46% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $13,081 | $8,510 | -35% |
| Dining out | -41% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13 | $6.98 | -46% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $67.9 | $40 | -41% |
| Fast food combo meal | $6.89 | $3.87 | -44% |
| Cappuccino | $3.02 | $1.62 | -46% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.38 | $0.9 | -35% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.83 | $2.41 | -37% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $4.29 | $2.63 | -39% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.04 | $0.64 | -38% |
| Telecom | -40% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $43.9 | $24.9 | -43% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $45.4 | $26.6 | -41% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.23 | $0.15 | -35% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $9.94 | $6.1 | -39% |
| Utilities & household | -41% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $111 | $67.6 | -39% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.12 | $0.08 | -33% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.75 | $1.58 | -43% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.92 | $0.56 | -39% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $15.1 | $8.03 | -47% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $54.9 | $32.5 | -41% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $8.93 | $6.4 | -28% |
| Men's haircut | $21.7 | $10.6 | -51% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $17 | $9.66 | -43% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,307 | $810 | -38% |
3,381 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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