Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Chiang Mai

😐 Solo nomad: Beijing (Pekin) is 2.2% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 23.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Beijing (Pekin) is 9.4% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 36.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.19 ¥28.98
$2.03 ฿64.3
106.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.90 ¥193
$18.59 ฿590
50.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.34 ¥36.89
$7.48 ฿237
-28.61%
Cappuccino
$3.22 ¥22.28
$2.00 ฿63.3
61.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ¥3.17
$0.85 ฿26.87
-45.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ¥1.92
$0.35 ฿11.15
-20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.10 ¥7.60
$2.21 ฿70.2
-50.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 ¥14.13
$3.76 ฿119
-45.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ¥12.05
$1.72 ฿54.5
1.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 ¥11.02
$1.63 ฿51.8
-1.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.08 ¥7.43
$1.16 ฿36.75
-6.90%
Eggs
$1.67 ¥11.56
$1.98 ฿62.8
-15.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.05 ¥111
$15.93 ฿505
0.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.15 ¥21.79
$3.17 ฿100
-0.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.46 ¥65.3
$10.90 ฿346
-13.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.14 ¥14.78
$2.65 ฿83.9
-19.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 ¥10.91
$1.22 ฿38.79
29.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.74 ¥12.03
$1.70 ฿53.8
2.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.28 ¥8.83
$1.59 ฿50.4
-19.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 ¥5.44
$1.32 ฿42.00
-40.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 ¥6.39
$1.17 ฿37.07
-21.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.67 ¥4.64
$0.68 ฿21.50
-1.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ¥3.90
$0.56 ฿17.68
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.53 ¥24.37
$4.51 ฿143
-21.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.16 ¥63.3
$19.07 ฿605
-51.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 ¥5.58
$1.77 ฿56.2
-54.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 ¥12.72
$3.18 ฿101
-42.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 ¥3.72
$0.96 ฿30.54
-43.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.94 ¥214
$18.90 ฿599
63.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.78 ¥12.29
$1.36 ฿43.07
30.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ¥2.44
$1.35 ฿42.89
-74.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.62 ¥73.4
$8.03 ฿255
32.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 ¥7.87
$1.24 ฿39.43
-8.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.6K ¥128.6K
$21.2K ฿671.3K
-12.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.9K ¥109.6K
$21.8K ฿690.1K
-27.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.4 ¥355
$71.2 ฿2,260
-27.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.91 ¥61.6
$14.09 ฿447
-36.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.72 ¥87.9
$17.47 ฿554
-27.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.38 ¥341
$42.07 ฿1,335
17.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.96 ¥124
$6.88 ฿218
161.05%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ¥57.1
$5.94 ฿188
39.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 ¥4,729
$307 ฿9,750
122.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.4K ¥161.6K
$14.8K ฿469.3K
58.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.1 ¥422
$55.7 ฿1,766
9.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.09 ¥243
$26.79 ฿850
30.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 ¥546
$83.2 ฿2,640
-4.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.0 ¥684
$70.1 ฿2,224
41.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$893 ¥6,171
$427 ฿13.6K
109.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 ¥3,098
$237 ฿7,521
89.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,946 ¥13.4K
$802 ฿25.4K
142.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 ¥7,567
$503 ฿16.0K
117.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.6K ¥87.1K
$2,061 ฿65.4K
512.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,295 ¥43.5K
$1,533 ฿48.6K
310.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Beijing (Pekin)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,553 ¥10.7K
$654 ฿20.7K
137.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.64
5
-27.20%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): March 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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