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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $647 in Anqing, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,015 in Anqing, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,383 in Anqing, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 34% more than Anqing, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Anqing are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Anqing 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$2.81 ¥19.05

-30.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$21.21 ¥144

-12.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$5.48 ¥37.14

42.70%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$2.17 ¥14.69

-10.14%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.39 ¥2.63

117.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.27 ¥1.80

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$0.81 ¥5.47

162.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.59 ¥17.52

44.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.80 ¥12.22

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.38 ¥9.34

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.93 ¥6.33

22.58%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.39 ¥9.38

38.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$12.34 ¥83.6

31.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.45 ¥23.39

-9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$12.34 ¥83.6

-11.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.95 ¥13.18

41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.08 ¥7.31

12.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.19 ¥8.04

36.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.92 ¥6.20

72.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.74 ¥4.98

89.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.72 ¥4.89

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.50 ¥3.35

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.57 ¥3.84

-7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.07 ¥20.80

52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$11.86 ¥80.3

57.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.73 ¥4.93

146.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.53 ¥10.38

111.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.29 ¥1.97

210.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$16.72 ¥113

14.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.88 ¥5.96

60.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.22 ¥1.49

486.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$6.16 ¥41.71

27.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.07 ¥7.28

18.69%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$18.2K ¥123.3K

16.92%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$14.3K ¥96.7K

55.56%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$84.1 ¥570

-17.91%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$7.69 ¥52.1

83.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$12.04 ¥81.5

49.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$41.31 ¥280

-0.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$14.13 ¥95.7

-50.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$5.62 ¥38.08

5.34%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$324 ¥2,196

-7.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$7,654 ¥51.8K

95.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$30.08 ¥204

81.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$24.64 ¥167

8.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$70.3 ¥476

20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$34.39 ¥233

105.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$209 ¥1,415

104.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$123 ¥836

92.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$331 ¥2,242

142.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$221 ¥1,499

132.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$3,033 ¥20.5K

-34.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,756 ¥11.9K

-15.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$764 ¥5,173

-19.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

66.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Anqing: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $209 in Anqing. 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 24% higher in Anqing, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Anqing. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $201 in Anqing – so Anqing 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 Anqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai, $647 in Anqing – roughly 34% apart. Chiang Mai costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $970 in Anqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Anqing, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $21.00 in Anqing. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $866 in Chiang Mai and $647 in Anqing. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $647 in Anqing, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $647 in Anqing to $866 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 Anqing. 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.