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: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $649 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,061 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $1,473 in Bengbu.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 33% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Bengbu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$2.84 ¥19.23

-31.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$22.21 ¥150

-16.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$4.98 ¥33.71

57.03%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$3.18 ¥21.53

-38.68%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.45 ¥3.03

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.26 ¥1.77

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$0.81 ¥5.49

162.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.03 ¥13.75

83.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$2.04 ¥13.80

-16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.02 ¥6.88

59.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.72 ¥4.88

58.33%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.47 ¥9.94

31.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$9.30 ¥63.0

74.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.85 ¥19.27

9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.76 ¥59.3

24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.35 ¥9.16

103.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$0.95 ¥6.41

27.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.37 ¥9.30

18.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.71 ¥4.81

123.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.57 ¥3.88

145.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.55 ¥3.70

112.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.71 ¥4.84

-7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.43 ¥2.95

23.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.85 ¥19.32

64.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$6.04 ¥40.90

208.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.67 ¥4.51

168.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.35 ¥9.17

139.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.27 ¥1.82

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$16.96 ¥115

13.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$1.52 ¥10.29

-7.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.36 ¥2.41

258.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$8.57 ¥58.1

-8.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.12 ¥7.59

13.39%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$17.3K ¥117.2K

22.98%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$14.3K ¥97.1K

55.00%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$34.21 ¥232

101.90%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$4.93 ¥33.36

185.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$8.15 ¥55.2

120.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$41.98 ¥284

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$13.95 ¥94.5

-50.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$5.47 ¥37.04

8.23%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$410 ¥2,777

-27.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$18.4K ¥124.3K

-18.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$43.07 ¥292

27.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$33.20 ¥225

-19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$67.7 ¥458

25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$82.8 ¥561

-14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$278 ¥1,882

54.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$185 ¥1,253

28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$587 ¥3,977

36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$367 ¥2,485

40.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$3,084 ¥20.9K

-35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,783 ¥12.1K

-17.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$652 ¥4,417

-5.32%

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 Bengbu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $278 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $22.00 in Bengbu. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $158, with Bengbu cheaper for home cooking.

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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bengbu earns 6% less. 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $278 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $410 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bengbu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 33% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.