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 $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $704 in Beihai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,138 in Beihai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,573 in Beihai, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 23% more than Beihai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Beihai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.8

$2.82 ¥19.05

-31.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿611

$21.25 ¥144

-12.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$4.78 ¥32.32

63.60%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿64.1

$2.92 ¥19.78

-33.22%

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

$0.85 ฿27.88

$0.46 ¥3.11

84.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.63

$0.27 ¥1.81

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.87 ¥5.87

144.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.12 ¥14.34

75.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.2

$1.78 ¥12.02

-3.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.4

$1.61 ¥10.90

1.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.30

$0.90 ¥6.06

26.67%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.4

$1.57 ¥10.61

22.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿532

$12.81 ¥86.6

26.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.20 ¥21.67

-2.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿357

$10.36 ¥70.1

5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.3

$1.77 ¥11.99

55.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.68

$1.25 ¥8.47

-3.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$1.36 ¥9.23

19.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.0

$1.08 ¥7.32

47.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.89

$0.67 ¥4.50

108.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.32

$0.97 ¥6.53

20.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.69

$0.60 ¥4.03

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.29

$0.55 ¥3.69

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿154

$3.15 ¥21.31

48.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿612

$11.43 ¥77.3

63.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.0

$0.79 ¥5.33

127.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.60 ¥10.81

101.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.37

$0.27 ¥1.81

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿630

$16.93 ¥115

13.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.10

$1.36 ¥9.20

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.29

$0.35 ¥2.38

268.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿257

$6.86 ¥46.43

14.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.75

$1.13 ¥7.67

12.39%

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

$21.3K ฿697.7K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

10.98%

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

$22.2K ฿728.3K

$16.7K ¥113.1K

32.90%

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

$69.1 ฿2,265

$46.09 ¥312

49.86%

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

$14.08 ฿462

$9.87 ¥66.7

42.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿590

$11.52 ¥78.0

56.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,346

$41.94 ¥284

-2.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿228

$13.82 ¥93.5

-49.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿194

$6.41 ¥43.37

-7.64%

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

$299 ฿9,805

$340 ¥2,297

-11.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.3K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,794

$42.73 ¥289

28.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿878

$30.04 ¥203

-10.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,787

$71.9 ¥487

18.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,315

$74.4 ¥503

-5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$275 ¥1,863

55.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,782

$186 ¥1,259

27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.3K

$593 ¥4,011

35.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$357 ¥2,417

44.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.7K

$3,044 ¥20.6K

-35.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.4K

$1,709 ¥11.6K

-13.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Beihai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $275 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Beihai. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $199 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 23% 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 $1,300 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 24% 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 $19.00 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 $866 in Chiang Mai and $704 in Beihai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $704 versus $866 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.