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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $671 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $1,053 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $1,435 in Bengbu.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 41% more expensive than in Bengbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bengbu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$2.21 ¥14.85

-5.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$10.26 ¥68.9

91.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.80 ¥32.21

17.71%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$3.13 ¥20.97

-42.17%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.43 ¥2.91

65.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.25 ¥1.68

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$1.48 ¥9.92

51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.20 ¥14.79

65.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$2.17 ¥14.58

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.07 ¥7.19

40.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$0.72 ¥4.80

86.11%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.36 ¥9.13

66.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$10.50 ¥70.5

54.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$2.91 ¥19.53

1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$9.10 ¥61.1

9.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$1.46 ¥9.78

76.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$1.06 ¥7.13

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.52 ¥10.20

5.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$0.70 ¥4.73

117.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.61 ¥4.08

108.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$0.62 ¥4.14

72.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.73 ¥4.89

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.46 ¥3.09

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.02 ¥20.26

38.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$5.92 ¥39.71

201.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$0.76 ¥5.09

122.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$1.53 ¥10.27

85.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.31 ¥2.10

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$18.14 ¥122

196.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.68 ¥11.25

-26.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.35 ¥2.37

65.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$8.91 ¥59.8

-72.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.24 ¥8.35

13.71%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$19.4K ¥130.0K

10.64%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$16.3K ¥109.5K

67.48%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$37.69 ¥253

68.93%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$5.35 ¥35.87

140.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$6.97 ¥46.79

190.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$40.49 ¥272

-4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$12.99 ¥87.2

-69.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$6.02 ¥40.41

11.96%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$417 ¥2,795

86.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$22.7K ¥152.4K

-35.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$43.03 ¥289

26.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$33.55 ¥225

-24.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$65.2 ¥438

44.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$85.9 ¥576

-14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$287 ¥1,925

70.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$182 ¥1,218

59.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$568 ¥3,809

57.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$325 ¥2,181

59.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$3,366 ¥22.6K

-41.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$1,647 ¥11.1K

-10.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$675 ¥4,528

-10.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.42

62.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $287 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $10.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $168 per month, with Bengbu cheaper across the board.

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 Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Bengbu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $287 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $778 in Chiang Mai versus $417 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Bengbu versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bengbu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.