Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chang-hua and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chang-hua 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 Chang-hua and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $864 per month in Chang-hua vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chang-hua $864
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,343 per month in Chang-hua vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chang-hua $1,343
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,822 per month in Chang-hua vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chang-hua $1,822
Chiang Mai $1,914

Chang-hua is about 8% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chang-hua and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Chang-hua 36% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 NT$124

$2.26 ฿75.4

69.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.76 NT$1,062

$19.18 ฿641

70.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 NT$179

$5.59 ฿187

-1.07%

Cappuccino

$1.63 NT$52.7

$1.72 ฿57.6

-5.23%

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

$0.96 NT$30.99

$0.64 ฿21.54

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.01

$0.33 ฿11.18

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 NT$44.21

$2.36 ฿78.7

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$3.90 ฿130

-44.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 NT$77.1

$2.05 ฿68.6

16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$67.2

$1.40 ฿46.70

47.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 NT$95.5

$1.28 ฿42.89

129.69%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$89.5

$2.25 ฿75.3

22.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 NT$525

$16.94 ฿566

-4.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 NT$308

$2.74 ฿91.6

247.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.23 NT$688

$9.36 ฿313

126.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 NT$156

$2.40 ฿80.3

100.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 NT$110

$1.01 ฿33.92

234.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 NT$95.1

$1.61 ฿53.9

81.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 NT$103

$1.52 ฿50.7

108.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 NT$89.8

$1.28 ฿42.90

116.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 NT$68.4

$1.11 ฿37.22

90.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 NT$54.9

$0.72 ฿24.09

134.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.97

$0.52 ฿17.54

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$128

$4.33 ฿145

-8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 NT$306

$17.73 ฿593

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NT$44.70

$1.63 ฿54.4

-15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.4

$2.85 ฿95.3

-19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 NT$50.4

$0.85 ฿28.31

82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 NT$1,129

$53.9 ฿1,801

-35.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 NT$85.9

$1.17 ฿39.18

126.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.71

$0.57 ฿19.00

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 NT$301

$2.37 ฿79.2

291.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.39

$1.45 ฿48.32

-26.90%

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

61.85%

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

$24.3K NT$787.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-8.41%

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

$31.62 NT$1,025

$62.3 ฿2,083

-49.27%

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

$16.99 NT$551

$12.27 ฿410

38.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.71 NT$607

$19.97 ฿668

-6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.75 NT$1,029

$37.91 ฿1,267

-16.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 NT$304

$6.71 ฿224

39.79%

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

$636 NT$20.6K

$797 ฿26.6K

-20.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 NT$257.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-46.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 NT$1,600

$53.3 ฿1,780

-7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 NT$502

$25.05 ฿837

-38.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 NT$2,534

$91.6 ฿3,062

-14.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.57 NT$1,607

$73.5 ฿2,455

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 NT$8,160

$464 ฿15.5K

-45.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 NT$5,528

$305 ฿10.2K

-44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 NT$16.5K

$915 ฿30.6K

-44.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 NT$5,480

$552 ฿18.5K

-69.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,959 NT$96.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

54.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,631 NT$52.9K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

13.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,011 NT$65.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

237.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.2

5.57

-60.50%

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

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chang-hua

$358 41.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 33.5% $120

Accommodation & Living

Chang-hua

$170 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 78.7% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Chang-hua

$87 10%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 26.4% $23

Eating Out

Chang-hua

$84 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 5.9% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chang-hua

$67 7.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 40.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chang-hua

$51 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 1.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Chang-hua

$47 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 29.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Chang-hua 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 238% higher in Chang-hua, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Chang-hua versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

1 h behind Chang-hua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,564

127,240

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 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 TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chang-hua Chiang Mai 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chang-hua
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

Chang-hua vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Chang-hua 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 Chang-hua, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $864 in Chang-hua and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Chang-hua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chang-hua, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Chang-hua 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. Chang-hua costs $864 versus $938 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 Chang-hua. 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.