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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $671 in Bengbu versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,053 in Bengbu versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,435 in Bengbu versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bengbu costs roughly 29% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bengbu 51% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.85

$2.08 ฿68.6

6.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.26 ¥68.9

$19.64 ฿646

-47.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 ¥32.21

$5.65 ฿186

-15.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥20.97

$1.81 ฿59.4

72.93%

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

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.71 ฿23.45

-39.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.68

$0.32 ฿10.38

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$2.24 ฿73.6

-33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ¥14.79

$3.63 ฿119

-39.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ¥14.58

$1.96 ฿64.4

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ¥7.19

$1.50 ฿49.39

-28.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.80

$1.34 ฿43.93

-46.27%

Eggs

$1.36 ¥9.13

$2.26 ฿74.5

-39.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 ¥70.5

$16.26 ฿535

-35.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 ¥19.53

$2.95 ฿97.1

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 ¥61.1

$9.94 ฿327

-8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$2.57 ฿84.6

-43.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.13

$1.06 ฿34.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.20

$1.61 ฿53.0

-5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$1.52 ฿49.97

-53.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$1.27 ฿41.77

-51.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.14

$1.07 ฿35.06

-42.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$0.72 ฿23.68

1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥3.09

$0.51 ฿16.72

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ¥20.26

$4.19 ฿138

-27.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 ¥39.71

$17.87 ฿587

-66.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.09

$1.69 ฿55.7

-55.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.27

$2.84 ฿93.3

-46.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.93 ฿30.43

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.14 ¥122

$53.9 ฿1,771

-66.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$1.23 ฿40.59

36.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$0.58 ฿18.96

-39.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ¥59.8

$2.42 ฿79.7

268.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.35

$1.41 ฿46.43

-12.06%

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

$19.4K ¥130.0K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

-9.61%

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

$16.3K ¥109.5K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

-40.29%

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

$37.69 ¥253

$63.7 ฿2,093

-40.80%

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

$5.35 ¥35.87

$12.85 ฿423

-58.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.97 ¥46.79

$20.22 ฿665

-65.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.49 ¥272

$38.74 ฿1,274

4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.99 ¥87.2

$3.97 ฿130

227.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 ¥40.41

$6.74 ฿222

-10.68%

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

$417 ¥2,795

$778 ฿25.6K

-46.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ¥152.4K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

55.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.03 ¥289

$54.3 ฿1,785

-20.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.55 ¥225

$25.45 ฿837

31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 ¥438

$94.3 ฿3,102

-30.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 ¥576

$73.4 ฿2,415

16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 ¥1,925

$490 ฿16.1K

-41.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,218

$289 ฿9,512

-37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 ¥3,809

$894 ฿29.4K

-36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥2,181

$517 ฿17.0K

-37.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,366 ¥22.6K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

72.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,647 ¥11.1K

$1,477 ฿48.6K

11.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$675 ¥4,528

$602 ฿19.8K

12.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

5.57

-38.60%

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

Last update for Bengbu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $287 in Bengbu and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $10.00 in Bengbu vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $240 per month, with Bengbu cheaper across the board.

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

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

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Bengbu, 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: $287 in Bengbu versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $417 in Bengbu versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Bengbu versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu 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, Bengbu 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 Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.