Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ankang Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ankang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $665 in Ankang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,053 in Ankang, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,442 in Ankang, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Ankang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Ankang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Ankang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$2.74 ¥18.54

-28.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$17.78 ¥120

3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$5.51 ¥37.22

35.75%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.28 ¥15.42

-11.40%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.43 ¥2.90

97.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.28 ¥1.91

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.08 ¥7.28

98.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$1.73 ¥11.68

107.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.55 ¥10.51

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.57 ¥10.62

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.88 ¥5.96

35.23%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.62 ¥10.92

19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$7.02 ¥47.43

130.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$1.95 ¥13.19

53.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$9.04 ¥61.1

21.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.60 ¥10.82

69.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.19 ¥8.04

-1.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.30 ¥8.76

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.76 ¥5.11

110.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.66 ¥4.43

109.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.60 ¥4.08

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.54 ¥3.65

24.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.56 ¥3.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.86 ¥19.30

62.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$7.52 ¥50.9

134.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$0.72 ¥4.87

158.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.69 ¥11.42

95.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.29 ¥1.99

203.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$16.85 ¥114

14.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$1.34 ¥9.03

1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.32 ¥2.19

318.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$4.07 ¥27.52

101.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.19 ¥8.04

2.52%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$21.2K ¥143.0K

0.90%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$16.5K ¥111.3K

36.83%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$45.16 ¥305

56.49%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$2.98 ¥20.11

371.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$11.85 ¥80.1

47.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$42.49 ¥287

-0.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$14.13 ¥95.5

-51.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.98 ¥33.68

18.88%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$328 ¥2,219

-6.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$18.2K ¥123.1K

-18.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$54.6 ¥369

2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$37.80 ¥255

-30.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$70.0 ¥473

18.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$69.4 ¥469

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$281 ¥1,896

53.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$190 ¥1,281

26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$596 ¥4,027

37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$365 ¥2,469

40.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$2,808 ¥19.0K

-31.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$1,849 ¥12.5K

-20.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

15.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ankang: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $281 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $18.00 in Ankang. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $157 in Ankang – so Ankang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 30%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $997 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 15% less in Ankang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $328 in Ankang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $665 in Ankang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.