Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin) and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,184
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,916 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,916
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,647
Chiang Mai $1,914

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ¥29.86

$2.26 ฿75.4

97.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ¥198

$19.18 ฿641

54.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ¥34.80

$5.59 ฿187

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ¥24.86

$1.72 ฿57.6

116.28%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.64 ฿21.54

-21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.33 ฿11.18

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$2.36 ฿78.7

-50.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$3.90 ฿130

-57.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$2.05 ฿68.6

-19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.40 ฿46.70

25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.28 ฿42.89

-0.78%

Eggs

$1.88 ¥12.55

$2.25 ฿75.3

-16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$16.94 ฿566

-13.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.03

$2.74 ฿91.6

14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ¥73.8

$9.36 ฿313

17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$2.40 ฿80.3

-15.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$1.01 ฿33.92

70.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ¥13.94

$1.61 ฿53.9

29.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.35

$1.52 ฿50.7

1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$1.28 ฿42.90

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$1.11 ฿37.22

-23.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$0.72 ฿24.09

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.52 ฿17.54

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ¥28.88

$4.33 ฿145

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$17.73 ฿593

-20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$1.63 ฿54.4

-38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$2.85 ฿95.3

-36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ¥4.67

$0.85 ฿28.31

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.48 ¥231

$53.9 ฿1,801

-36.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ¥12.84

$1.17 ฿39.18

64.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.57 ฿19.00

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ¥51.3

$2.37 ฿79.2

223.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.45 ฿48.32

-7.59%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-5.84%

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

$18.3K ¥122.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-30.99%

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

$57.3 ¥383

$62.3 ฿2,083

-8.04%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$12.27 ฿410

-25.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$19.97 ฿668

-28.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 ¥283

$37.91 ฿1,267

11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 ¥165

$3.76 ฿126

554.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 ¥49.48

$6.71 ฿224

10.28%

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

$660 ¥4,410

$797 ฿26.6K

-17.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

63.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 ¥467

$53.3 ฿1,780

31.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ¥265

$25.05 ฿837

58.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ¥594

$91.6 ฿3,062

-2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥849

$73.5 ฿2,455

72.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 ¥6,286

$464 ฿15.5K

102.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$305 ฿10.2K

71.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,319 ¥15.5K

$915 ฿30.6K

153.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 ¥7,542

$552 ฿18.5K

104.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K ¥82.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

547.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ¥42.0K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

336.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ¥11.5K

$595 ฿19.9K

187.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

5.57

-43.99%

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

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 41.8% $219

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 4.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 25.2% $37

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 27% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 17.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 10.2% $5.8

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 50.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $464 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.

Salaries run about 188% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

1 h behind Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

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 19, 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 19, 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

Beijing (Pekin) Chiang Mai 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Beijing (Pekin)
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

Beijing (Pekin) vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin) and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 26%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.