Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anshan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Anshan: $626 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$626

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Anshan and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Anshan and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $626 in Anshan versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Anshan $626
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,011 in Anshan versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Anshan $1,011
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,396 in Anshan versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Anshan $1,396
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Anshan costs roughly 32% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Anshan 54% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ¥19.67

$2.29 ฿76.5

28.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.46 ¥123

$19.64 ฿656

-6.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ¥30.70

$5.61 ฿188

-18.18%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ¥16.65

$1.66 ฿55.6

50.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.70 ฿23.40

-48.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$0.31 ฿10.24

-32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$2.41 ฿80.4

-69.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.79

$3.71 ฿124

-56.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.95 ฿65.3

-9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ¥8.42

$1.41 ฿47.03

-10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$1.31 ฿43.62

-70.23%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.07

$2.18 ฿72.9

-51.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$16.65 ฿556

-45.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.24

$2.76 ฿92.2

-33.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.93 ¥59.7

$9.11 ฿304

-1.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$2.39 ฿80.0

-57.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.03 ฿34.26

13.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.83

$1.63 ฿54.4

-28.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.95

$1.50 ฿50.0

-20.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.29 ฿43.13

-75.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$1.11 ฿37.03

-17.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.72 ฿24.08

-59.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.53 ฿17.59

-16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.28

$4.31 ฿144

-12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 ¥49.42

$17.95 ฿600

-58.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.79

$1.58 ฿52.9

-54.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 ¥7.29

$2.84 ฿95.0

-61.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.86 ฿28.86

-66.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.04 ¥121

$53.3 ฿1,780

-66.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ¥6.90

$1.21 ฿40.29

-14.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ¥0.90

$0.57 ฿18.99

-75.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.59

$2.35 ฿78.6

24.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥7.05

$1.44 ฿47.96

-27.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-5.95%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.1K ¥101.2K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-43.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$29.47 ¥197

$62.3 ฿2,083

-52.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.37 ¥49.28

$12.11 ฿405

-39.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.66 ¥98.0

$19.94 ฿666

-26.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.48 ¥277

$37.07 ฿1,239

11.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 ¥98.9

$3.78 ฿126

291.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 ¥39.63

$6.50 ฿217

-8.77%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,514

$793 ฿26.5K

-71.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ¥143.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

44.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.77 ¥246

$53.7 ฿1,796

-31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.89 ¥220

$24.62 ฿823

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 ¥405

$90.9 ฿3,036

-33.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 ¥468

$71.1 ฿2,378

-1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,971

$455 ฿15.2K

-35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,217

$298 ฿9,954

-38.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 ¥4,209

$908 ฿30.4K

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,518

$554 ฿18.5K

-32.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,509 ¥23.5K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

81.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,923 ¥12.9K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

33.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$926 ¥6,194

$591 ฿19.7K

56.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-64.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Anshan: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Anshan

$182 29.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 63.6% $116

Groceries & Markets

Anshan

$152 24.2%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 55.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Anshan

$90 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 20% $18

Eating Out

Anshan

$76 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 2.9% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Anshan

$53 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.1% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anshan

$52 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 83.3% $43

Getting Around

Anshan

$21 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 191% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Anshan and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anshan pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Anshan vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $235 per month, with Anshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Anshan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

1 h behind Anshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,543,696

127,240

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Anshan Chiang Mai 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Anshan
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Anshan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Anshan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $295 in Anshan versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $626 per month in Anshan versus $925 in Chiang Mai – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $626 in Anshan versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Anshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Anshan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Anshan and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.