Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beijing (Pekin) Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beijing (Pekin)

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,059 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,761 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,463 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 18% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$4.15 ¥28.09

-53.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$27.92 ¥189

-33.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$5.31 ¥35.94

47.27%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$3.04 ¥20.59

-35.86%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.46 ¥3.12

84.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.30 ¥2.04

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.14 ¥7.72

86.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.13 ¥14.45

75.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.72 ¥11.68

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.59 ¥10.76

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.10 ¥7.47

3.64%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.65 ¥11.17

16.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$15.89 ¥108

2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.22 ¥21.79

-3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$9.98 ¥67.6

9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$2.11 ¥14.26

30.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.59 ¥10.77

-23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.74 ¥11.78

-6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.35 ¥9.12

17.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.83 ¥5.65

68.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.92 ¥6.26

27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.71 ¥4.84

-7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.56 ¥3.80

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.45 ¥23.35

35.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$14.96 ¥101

24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.86 ¥5.81

109.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.84 ¥12.48

75.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.54 ¥3.67

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$31.39 ¥213

-38.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$1.85 ¥12.51

-23.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.36 ¥2.41

258.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$10.52 ¥71.2

-25.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.10 ¥7.42

15.45%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$18.2K ¥122.9K

17.22%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$15.4K ¥104.2K

44.35%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$52.7 ¥357

31.06%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$8.97 ¥60.8

56.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$12.62 ¥85.5

42.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$48.30 ¥327

-14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$17.96 ¥122

-61.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$8.17 ¥55.4

-27.54%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$668 ¥4,524

-55.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$24.1K ¥163.1K

-37.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$61.1 ¥413

-10.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$34.02 ¥230

-21.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$76.8 ¥520

10.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$99.1 ¥671

-28.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$916 ¥6,202

-53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$455 ¥3,084

-47.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$1,913 ¥13.0K

-58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$1,084 ¥7,340

-52.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$12.4K ¥83.8K

-84.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$6,323 ¥42.8K

-76.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$1,569 ¥10.6K

-60.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

37.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $916 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 154% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $223 in Beijing (Pekin) – so Beijing (Pekin) 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 Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 22%, 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 $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,589 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 $28.00 in Beijing (Pekin). 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 $1,059 in Beijing (Pekin). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,059. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.