Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ankang

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankang: $725 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Ankang
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Ankang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Ankang

🇨🇳 China

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ankang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Ankang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $725 in Ankang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Ankang $725

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,132 in Ankang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Ankang $1,132

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,540 in Ankang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Ankang $1,540

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Ankang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ankang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Ankang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.47 ¥9.81

53.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$14.99 ¥100

27.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$2.91 ¥19.46

92.10%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.15 ¥14.39

-20.00%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.43 ¥2.90

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.27 ¥1.79

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.50 ¥10.03

57.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.48 ¥9.86

163.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.47 ¥9.85

39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.70 ¥11.37

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.90 ¥5.99

42.22%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.49 ¥9.98

51.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$11.41 ¥76.3

48.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.12 ¥27.53

-33.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$10.36 ¥69.2

-9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.70 ¥11.34

41.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.15 ¥7.67

-12.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.24 ¥8.32

29.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.26 ¥8.44

20.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.68 ¥4.52

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.69 ¥4.61

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.58 ¥3.85

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.55 ¥3.68

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.31 ¥22.15

30.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$9.89 ¥66.1

79.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.78 ¥5.19

108.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.68 ¥11.22

69.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.32 ¥2.12

165.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$17.21 ¥115

213.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.25 ¥8.35

-6.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.29 ¥1.93

96.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.36 ¥29.16

-45.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.36 ¥9.08

6.62%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$19.3K ¥129.3K

5.84%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$17.5K ¥117.0K

51.52%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$89.3 ¥597

-30.23%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$3.26 ¥21.79

276.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$10.61 ¥70.9

88.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$44.85 ¥300

-15.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$13.11 ¥87.7

-71.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.68 ¥37.99

18.13%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$679 ¥4,540

17.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$17.2K ¥115.2K

-13.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$39.44 ¥264

35.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$37.19 ¥249

-32.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$74.4 ¥498

23.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$92.4 ¥618

-20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$299 ¥2,002

54.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$182 ¥1,220

66.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$616 ¥4,117

48.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$386 ¥2,582

43.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$3,279 ¥21.9K

-41.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$2,225 ¥14.9K

-35.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.35

66.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ankang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Ankang

$182 25.2% 40.1% $122

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Ankang

$193 26.6% 18.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Ankang

$110 15.1% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Ankang

$103 14.2% 9.1% $8.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Ankang

$60 8.2% 24.6% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Ankang

$21 2.9% 65.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Ankang

$56 7.8% 9.5% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $299 in Ankang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $15.00 in Ankang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $193 – making Ankang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Ankang

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

894,853

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ankang 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ankang

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

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

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,088 in Ankang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ankang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 213% less in Ankang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $679 in Ankang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ankang, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Ankang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ankang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ankang. 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.