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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $671 in Benxi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $949 in Benxi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,227 in Benxi, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Benxi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Benxi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Benxi 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$2.74 ¥18.51

-27.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$20.54 ¥139

-8.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$4.85 ¥32.76

59.79%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$2.64 ¥17.88

-27.27%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.45 ¥3.07

75.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.29 ¥1.96

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$0.72 ¥4.90

206.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.64 ¥11.06

123.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.71 ¥11.56

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.13 ¥7.62

44.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.76 ¥5.14

56.58%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.10 ¥7.41

81.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$9.22 ¥62.4

73.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$2.78 ¥18.77

8.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$8.50 ¥57.5

27.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.45 ¥9.80

90.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.34 ¥9.04

-11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.50 ¥10.11

9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$1.24 ¥8.38

22.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.54 ¥3.64

155.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$1.73 ¥11.69

-31.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$1.17 ¥7.90

-40.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.64 ¥4.35

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$2.75 ¥18.56

66.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$7.95 ¥53.8

108.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$0.59 ¥3.97

210.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$0.89 ¥6.02

259.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.29 ¥1.98

203.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$11.29 ¥76.4

65.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.80 ¥5.44

70.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.28 ¥1.91

378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$3.44 ¥23.27

127.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.11 ¥7.49

10.81%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$18.4K ¥124.6K

17.36%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

34.30%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$51.7 ¥349

36.57%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$6.41 ¥43.33

113.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$9.80 ¥66.3

78.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$62.3 ¥421

-33.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$7.72 ¥52.2

-9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$4.80 ¥32.49

20.21%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$413 ¥2,790

-25.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$8,483 ¥57.4K

72.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$27.71 ¥187

101.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$30.72 ¥208

-14.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$55.1 ¥373

55.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$49.47 ¥335

46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$126 ¥850

241.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$189 ¥1,277

26.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$239 ¥1,619

241.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$138 ¥932

270.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$3,164 ¥21.4K

-37.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$1,797 ¥12.1K

-17.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$440 ¥2,978

40.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.00%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Benxi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $126 in Benxi. 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 41% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $21.00 in Benxi. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Chiang Mai vs $168 in Benxi – so Benxi 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 Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Benxi, 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,007 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $307 per month in Chiang Mai and $413 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $671 in Benxi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Benxi costs $671 versus $869 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 Benxi. 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.