Cost of Living Comparison Between Beihai and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Beihai and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $721 per month in Beihai vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,162 per month in Beihai vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,603 per month in Beihai vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Beihai is about 24% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Beihai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Beihai 48% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 ¥20.13

$2.08 ฿68.6

44.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.63 ¥159

$19.64 ฿646

20.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ¥31.30

$5.65 ฿186

-17.52%

Cappuccino

$2.85 ¥19.15

$1.81 ฿59.4

57.46%

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

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.71 ฿23.45

-22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.32 ฿10.38

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.24 ฿73.6

-58.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ¥15.94

$3.63 ฿119

-34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.82

$1.96 ฿64.4

-10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥10.36

$1.50 ฿49.39

2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$1.34 ฿43.93

-28.36%

Eggs

$1.48 ¥9.93

$2.26 ฿74.5

-34.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.60 ¥98.0

$16.26 ฿535

-10.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 ¥25.95

$2.95 ฿97.1

31.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 ¥71.3

$9.94 ฿327

6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.43

$2.57 ฿84.6

-33.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.66

$1.06 ฿34.73

21.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.08

$1.61 ฿53.0

-16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.15

$1.52 ฿49.97

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$1.27 ฿41.77

-46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.35

$1.07 ฿35.06

-25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.72 ฿23.68

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.51 ฿16.72

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ¥23.11

$4.19 ฿138

-17.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 ¥70.9

$17.87 ฿587

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.19

$1.69 ฿55.7

-45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.51

$2.84 ฿93.3

-44.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ¥1.86

$0.93 ฿30.43

-69.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.04 ¥121

$53.9 ฿1,771

-66.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ¥10.35

$1.23 ฿40.59

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.58 ฿18.96

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 ¥49.85

$2.42 ฿79.7

207.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ¥9.49

$1.41 ฿46.43

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

$21.1K ¥141.6K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

-1.58%

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

$15.9K ¥106.6K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

-41.88%

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

$56.2 ¥377

$63.7 ฿2,093

-11.67%

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

$8.85 ¥59.4

$12.85 ฿423

-31.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.54 ¥77.4

$20.22 ฿665

-42.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.24 ¥277

$38.74 ฿1,274

6.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.83 ¥92.8

$3.97 ฿130

248.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 ¥37.12

$6.74 ฿222

-17.95%

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

$473 ¥3,174

$778 ฿25.6K

-39.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ¥126.6K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

29.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.51 ¥272

$54.3 ฿1,785

-25.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.23 ¥203

$25.45 ฿837

18.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥511

$94.3 ฿3,102

-19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ¥482

$73.4 ฿2,415

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,210

$490 ฿16.1K

-32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ¥1,051

$289 ฿9,512

-45.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 ¥4,460

$894 ฿29.4K

-25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 ¥2,734

$517 ฿17.0K

-21.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,321 ¥22.3K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

69.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 ¥14.9K

$1,477 ฿48.6K

50.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.57

-39.32%

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

Last update for Beihai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $329 in Beihai versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Beihai versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Beihai vs $240 in Chiang Mai – so Beihai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 31% more than Beihai, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,081 per month in Beihai and $1,421 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beihai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Beihai and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $721 versus $947 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Beihai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.