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: $657 in Bengbu versus $872 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,050 in Bengbu versus $1,337 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Bengbu versus $1,802 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bengbu costs roughly 25% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bengbu 51% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.40

$2.01 ฿64.5

41.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.65 ¥155

$18.23 ฿584

24.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥33.12

$7.65 ฿245

-36.60%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.26

$1.92 ฿61.5

61.98%

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

$0.45 ¥3.05

$0.84 ฿26.97

-46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.63

$0.36 ฿11.42

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.47

$2.19 ฿70.2

-63.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.70

$3.79 ฿121

-43.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ¥14.07

$1.64 ฿52.5

25.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ¥6.92

$1.62 ฿52.0

-37.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.54

$1.15 ฿36.98

-41.74%

Eggs

$1.49 ¥10.20

$1.94 ฿62.2

-23.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ¥63.6

$15.94 ฿511

-41.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ¥19.36

$3.10 ฿99.5

-8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 ¥62.7

$11.07 ฿355

-17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.32

$2.71 ฿86.8

-49.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.88

$1.18 ฿37.80

-14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.32

$1.71 ฿54.7

-20.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.85

$1.61 ฿51.5

-55.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.93

$1.39 ฿44.66

-58.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.98

$1.15 ฿36.81

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ¥4.85

$0.71 ฿22.83

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.55 ฿17.65

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.26

$4.57 ฿146

-38.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ¥41.16

$18.87 ฿605

-68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.87

$1.82 ฿58.4

-60.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ¥9.21

$3.21 ฿103

-57.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.88 ฿28.24

-67.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ¥116

$18.89 ฿606

-10.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥10.17

$1.41 ฿45.30

5.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$1.30 ฿41.71

-74.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 ¥56.2

$8.20 ฿263

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥8.05

$1.23 ฿39.29

-4.07%

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

$17.1K ¥117.0K

$21.2K ฿678.9K

-19.11%

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

$14.2K ¥97.0K

$22.3K ฿715.3K

-36.34%

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

$34.29 ¥234

$69.9 ฿2,240

-50.92%

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

$4.94 ¥33.73

$14.07 ฿451

-64.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.48 ¥57.9

$17.70 ฿567

-52.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.48 ¥290

$41.41 ฿1,328

2.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.01 ¥95.7

$6.69 ฿215

109.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ¥38.59

$5.74 ฿184

-1.57%

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

$411 ¥2,807

$299 ฿9,593

37.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ¥124.2K

$15.0K ฿481.2K

21.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.09 ¥294

$54.8 ฿1,758

-21.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.50 ¥222

$26.35 ฿845

23.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥459

$84.7 ฿2,714

-20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 ¥561

$69.7 ฿2,236

17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥1,929

$427 ฿13.7K

-33.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,256

$241 ฿7,718

-23.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ¥4,053

$811 ฿26.0K

-26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ¥2,459

$498 ฿16.0K

-27.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,185 ¥21.8K

$2,022 ฿64.8K

57.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 ¥12.3K

$1,524 ฿48.9K

18.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 ¥4,508

$639 ฿20.5K

3.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

-22.60%

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

Last update for Bengbu: April 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Bengbu and $427 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23 in Bengbu vs $18 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $160 vs $246, with Bengbu cheaper for home cooking.

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 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bengbu pays 3% more on average, 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: $282 in Bengbu versus $427 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $411 in Bengbu versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bengbu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 33% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.