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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $703 in Beihai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,130 in Beihai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,557 in Beihai, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Beihai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Beihai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿66.0

$2.73 ¥18.47

-28.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿618

$21.04 ¥142

-12.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.95 ¥33.49

51.11%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿68.0

$2.93 ¥19.80

-31.06%

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

$0.85 ฿28.57

$0.43 ¥2.91

97.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.99

$0.27 ¥1.81

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿72.0

$0.90 ¥6.06

137.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.12 ¥14.32

69.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.6

$1.80 ¥12.17

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.8

$1.53 ¥10.34

2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.12

$0.95 ¥6.42

25.26%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.2

$1.57 ¥10.61

23.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿546

$12.90 ¥87.2

25.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.19 ¥21.56

-6.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿369

$10.29 ¥69.6

6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.4

$1.80 ¥12.18

50.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.34

$1.19 ¥8.08

-1.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.41 ¥9.55

19.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.1

$1.13 ¥7.62

41.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.65

$0.67 ¥4.50

105.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.54

$0.91 ¥6.13

31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.55

$0.56 ¥3.79

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.77

$0.52 ¥3.49

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.11 ¥21.06

49.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿594

$12.88 ¥87.1

36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.80 ¥5.38

132.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.66 ¥11.20

98.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.75

$0.27 ¥1.81

225.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿652

$16.91 ¥114

14.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿46.01

$1.41 ¥9.51

-3.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.08

$0.33 ¥2.21

306.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿277

$6.54 ¥44.26

25.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.28

$1.16 ¥7.85

5.17%

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

$21.4K ฿719.8K

$19.0K ¥128.6K

12.32%

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

$22.5K ฿759.5K

$16.4K ¥111.2K

37.06%

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

$70.7 ฿2,382

$45.86 ¥310

54.10%

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

$14.04 ฿473

$9.81 ¥66.4

43.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿590

$11.51 ¥77.9

51.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,421

$41.99 ¥284

0.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿232

$13.68 ¥92.6

-49.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿200

$6.44 ¥43.55

-8.07%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$341 ¥2,310

-9.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿501.5K

$17.2K ¥116.1K

-13.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,880

$42.71 ¥289

30.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿880

$29.88 ¥202

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,798

$72.3 ¥489

14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,375

$74.5 ¥504

-5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.6K

$277 ¥1,873

56.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,054

$187 ¥1,268

27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$582 ¥3,941

41.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.3K

$353 ¥2,389

45.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.5K

$2,659 ¥18.0K

-27.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.5K

$2,096 ¥14.2K

-30.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

29.20%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Beihai: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $277 in Beihai. 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 $21.00 in Beihai. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Beihai – so Beihai 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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Beihai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,055 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $21.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $703 in Beihai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $703 versus $861 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Beihai. 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.