Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bengbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bengbu: $670 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bengbu
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Bengbu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Bengbu

🇨🇳 China

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bengbu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Bengbu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $670 in Bengbu.

Chiang Mai $925
Bengbu $670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,068 in Bengbu.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Bengbu $1,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $1,466 in Bengbu.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Bengbu $1,466

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 38% more expensive than in Bengbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bengbu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.18 ¥14.59

5.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$10.31 ¥69.0

90.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.73 ¥31.63

18.60%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.13 ¥20.93

-46.96%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.47 ¥3.14

48.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.27 ¥1.81

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.48 ¥9.88

62.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.18 ¥14.55

70.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.15 ¥14.38

-9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.03 ¥6.86

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.77 ¥5.15

70.13%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.32 ¥8.84

65.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.62 ¥71.0

56.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.07 ¥20.56

-10.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.70 ¥58.2

4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.53 ¥10.22

56.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.02 ¥6.84

0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.52 ¥10.14

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.78 ¥5.19

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.63 ¥4.21

104.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.63 ¥4.19

76.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.72 ¥4.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.44 ¥2.93

20.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.97 ¥19.88

45.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.96 ¥39.84

201.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.73 ¥4.90

116.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.53 ¥10.24

85.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.31 ¥2.09

177.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$20.48 ¥137

160.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.65 ¥11.06

-26.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.38 ¥2.55

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.83 ¥59.1

-73.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.28 ¥8.58

12.50%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

6.32%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$17.3K ¥115.8K

54.75%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$37.93 ¥254

64.33%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$5.08 ¥33.97

138.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$6.96 ¥46.52

186.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$41.61 ¥278

-10.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$14.54 ¥97.2

-74.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.08 ¥40.62

6.91%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$402 ¥2,685

97.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$22.2K ¥148.7K

-33.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$42.61 ¥285

26.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$34.17 ¥228

-27.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$66.4 ¥444

36.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$86.2 ¥576

-17.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$304 ¥2,035

49.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$187 ¥1,251

59.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$605 ¥4,044

50.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$403 ¥2,693

37.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,171 ¥21.2K

-39.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,085 ¥13.9K

-30.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$669 ¥4,472

-11.65%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Bengbu

$187 27.9% 37.2% $111

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Bengbu

$167 24.9% 29% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Bengbu

$103 15.4% 4.6% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Bengbu

$50 7.5% 47.1% $44

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Bengbu

$84 12.5% 6.8% $5.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bengbu

$25 3.8% 58.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bengbu

$54 8% 7.4% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $304 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 13% 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 $235 vs $167 per month, with Bengbu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Bengbu

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,296,408

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bengbu 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bengbu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and transport. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $304 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Mai versus $402 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $670 in Bengbu versus $925 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 38% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.