Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changshu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $712 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
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Changshu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Changshu versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Changshu $712
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Changshu versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Changshu $1,128
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,544 in Changshu versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Changshu $1,544
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Changshu costs roughly 24% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changshu 47% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ¥18.91

$2.26 ฿75.4

25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.95 ¥147

$19.18 ฿641

14.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.85

$5.59 ฿187

-12.16%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.60

$1.72 ฿57.6

70.35%

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

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.64 ฿21.54

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.33 ฿11.18

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$2.36 ฿78.7

-63.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.66

$3.90 ฿130

-47.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.59

$2.05 ฿68.6

-8.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$1.40 ฿46.70

10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$1.28 ฿42.89

-30.47%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$2.25 ฿75.3

-29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.6

$16.94 ฿566

-24.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.10

$2.74 ฿91.6

15.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 ¥67.0

$9.36 ฿313

7.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.49

$2.40 ฿80.3

-22.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.01 ฿33.92

23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$1.61 ฿53.9

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.70

$1.52 ฿50.7

-24.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.66

$1.28 ฿42.90

-45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$1.11 ฿37.22

-14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.72 ฿24.09

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.52 ฿17.54

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ¥21.52

$4.33 ฿145

-25.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 ¥70.0

$17.73 ฿593

-40.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.22

$1.63 ฿54.4

-52.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.53

$2.85 ฿95.3

-44.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.85 ฿28.31

-68.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.48 ¥110

$53.9 ฿1,801

-69.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.51

$1.17 ฿39.18

21.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.57 ฿19.00

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.35

$2.37 ฿79.2

179.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.52

$1.45 ฿48.32

-22.76%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-4.50%

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

$17.2K ¥115.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-35.07%

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

$46.01 ¥308

$62.3 ฿2,083

-26.18%

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

$9.96 ¥66.6

$12.27 ฿410

-18.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.63 ¥77.8

$19.97 ฿668

-41.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 ¥275

$37.91 ฿1,267

8.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 ¥93.6

$3.76 ฿126

272.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.83

$6.71 ฿224

-13.41%

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

$329 ¥2,198

$797 ฿26.6K

-58.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

13.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.18 ¥289

$53.3 ฿1,780

-18.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.03 ¥201

$25.05 ฿837

19.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥483

$91.6 ฿3,062

-21.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 ¥479

$73.5 ฿2,455

-2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,870

$464 ฿15.5K

-39.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,283

$305 ฿10.2K

-36.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 ¥3,995

$915 ฿30.6K

-34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ¥2,385

$552 ฿18.5K

-35.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ¥20.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

56.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

43.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

5.57

-30.16%

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

Last update for Changshu: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changshu

$198 27.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 20.4% $40

Accommodation & Living

Changshu

$192 27%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 58.7% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Changshu

$98 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 12.1% $12

Eating Out

Changshu

$84 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 5.8% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changshu

$68 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 39.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Changshu

$53 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 2.6% $1.4

Getting Around

Changshu

$21 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 198% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Changshu and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Changshu vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $238, with Changshu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changshu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

1 h behind Changshu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,677,050

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 20, 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 20, 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

Changshu Chiang Mai 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Changshu
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

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

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,068 in Changshu and $1,408 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Changshu versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $712 per month in Changshu versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $712 in Changshu versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu 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, Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.