Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Anyang, China

For one person, living is cheaper in Anyang: $668 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Anyang, China
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Anyang
🇨🇳 China
$668
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Anyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $668 in Anyang, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Anyang $668

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,034 in Anyang, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Anyang $1,034

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,399 in Anyang, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Anyang $1,399

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Anyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Anyang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Anyang 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.7
$1.89 ¥12.61
18.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿642
$12.19 ¥81.1
55.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿188
$5.04 ¥33.53
10.12%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.6
$1.37 ¥9.08
21.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.56
$0.47 ¥3.13
36.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.32
$0.23 ¥1.53
34.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$0.92 ¥6.15
156.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$1.81 ¥12.06
102.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.52 ¥10.13
28.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.51
$1.47 ¥9.79
-2.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.07
$0.78 ¥5.16
70.51%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$0.81 ¥5.39
181.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿556
$11.67 ¥77.7
40.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$2.12 ¥14.09
31.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$9.89 ¥65.8
-5.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.5
$0.58 ¥3.84
305.17%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.82
$0.57 ¥3.81
70.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.03 ¥6.83
55.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.13 ¥7.54
32.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.15
$0.29 ¥1.93
341.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.22
$0.62 ¥4.14
77.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.84
$0.53 ¥3.50
33.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.38
$0.39 ¥2.57
25.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$1.49 ¥9.88
177.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿592
$10.17 ¥67.7
72.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$0.31 ¥2.06
419.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$1.35 ¥9.01
105.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.33
$0.28 ¥1.88
210.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,827
$18.99 ¥126
184.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.08
$1.59 ¥10.55
-27.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.82
$0.27 ¥1.82
96.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$4.61 ¥30.68
-47.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.26 ¥8.38
15.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿711.2K
$19.3K ¥128.5K
9.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.8K
$15.2K ¥101.1K
77.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,100
$71.4 ¥475
-12.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$4.37 ¥29.07
178.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿680
$5.11 ¥33.98
293.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,260
$36.17 ¥241
3.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$14.75 ¥98.1
-74.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$5.17 ¥34.42
25.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.9K
$216 ¥1,434
241.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.6K
$19.9K ¥132.1K
-25.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,802
$33.91 ¥226
57.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿832
$43.18 ¥287
-42.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,089
$70.5 ¥469
29.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,429
$69.7 ¥464
3.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$277 ¥1,845
73.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$201 ¥1,339
53.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿34.0K
$666 ¥4,430
51.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$401 ¥2,671
57.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$2,797 ¥18.6K
-15.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.7K
$2,197 ¥14.6K
-27.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Anyang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.13
77.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Anyang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Anyang
$201 34.9% $108
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Anyang
$161 31.3% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Anyang
$98 10% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Anyang
$81 14.4% $14
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Anyang
$58 25.6% $20
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Anyang
$23 62.4% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Anyang
$47 7.5% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $277 in Anyang. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Anyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $161 – making Anyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇳 Anyang
🕒 Local time
22:13 10:13 PM
23:13 11:13 PM
1 h ahead of Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
1,147,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Anyang 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Anyang

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 Anyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Anyang cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,002 in Anyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Anyang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $277 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
What are total monthly expenses in Chiang Mai and in Anyang?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $668 in Anyang. That’s a gap of about 40%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 65% less in Anyang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is Chiang Mai or Anyang more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Anyang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Anyang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 40% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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