Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $741 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $741 per month in Chengdu vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chengdu $741
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,204 per month in Chengdu vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chengdu $1,204
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,667 per month in Chengdu vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chengdu $1,667
Chiang Mai $1,914

Chengdu is about 21% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chengdu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 ¥18.72

$2.26 ฿75.4

23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.37 ¥150

$19.18 ฿641

16.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.85

$5.59 ฿187

-12.16%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ¥19.28

$1.72 ฿57.6

67.44%

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

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.64 ฿21.54

-21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.33 ฿11.18

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.21

$2.36 ฿78.7

-35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.61

$3.90 ฿130

-43.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$2.05 ฿68.6

-7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ¥10.02

$1.40 ฿46.70

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.62

$1.28 ฿42.89

-22.66%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$2.25 ฿75.3

-30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 ¥97.2

$16.94 ฿566

-14.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.48

$2.74 ฿91.6

33.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ¥74.8

$9.36 ฿313

19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.40

$2.40 ฿80.3

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.19

$1.01 ฿33.92

35.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.28

$1.61 ฿53.9

-32.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.74

$1.52 ฿50.7

-23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$1.28 ฿42.90

-45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.11 ฿37.22

-35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.72 ฿24.09

-13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.64

$0.52 ฿17.54

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 ¥24.89

$4.33 ฿145

-14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.58 ¥30.61

$17.73 ฿593

-74.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.49

$1.63 ฿54.4

-49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.86

$2.85 ฿95.3

-48.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.85 ฿28.31

-49.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 ¥164

$53.9 ฿1,801

-54.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ¥8.71

$1.17 ฿39.18

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.57 ฿19.00

-49.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ¥29.85

$2.37 ฿79.2

88.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.81

$1.45 ฿48.32

-8.97%

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

$19.6K ¥130.9K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-4.40%

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

$17.4K ¥116.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-34.53%

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

$47.19 ¥316

$62.3 ฿2,083

-24.29%

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

$9.21 ¥61.6

$12.27 ฿410

-24.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.45 ¥83.2

$19.97 ฿668

-37.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 ¥179

$37.91 ฿1,267

-29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$3.76 ฿126

202.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ¥40.62

$6.71 ฿224

-9.39%

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

$379 ¥2,534

$797 ฿26.6K

-52.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥99.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.28 ¥169

$53.3 ฿1,780

-52.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.77 ¥186

$25.05 ฿837

10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 ¥381

$91.6 ฿3,062

-37.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ¥352

$73.5 ฿2,455

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ¥3,103

$464 ฿15.5K

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 ¥1,659

$305 ฿10.2K

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 ¥5,436

$915 ฿30.6K

-11.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,565

$552 ฿18.5K

-3.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,762 ¥25.2K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

96.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,902 ¥12.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

32.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,252 ¥8,368

$595 ฿19.9K

110.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.57

-39.32%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$248 33.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 22.8% $57

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$196 26.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 21.3% $42

Eating Out

Chengdu

$87 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 9.1% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 49.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 37.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 31.8% $12

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 112% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chengdu 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 110% higher in Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Chengdu vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Chengdu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h behind Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

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

Chengdu Chiang Mai 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $741 in Chengdu, $938 in Chiang Mai – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,112 per month in Chengdu 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 Chengdu, 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 $22.00 in Chengdu 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 $741 in Chengdu and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $741 in Chengdu to $938 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chengdu. 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.