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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $771 in Binzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,210 in Binzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $1,649 in Binzhou.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 12% more expensive than Binzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Binzhou 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$3.42 ¥23.16

-43.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$18.00 ¥122

3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$4.63 ¥31.36

68.90%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$3.34 ¥22.66

-41.62%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.54 ¥3.63

57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.31 ¥2.11

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$0.82 ¥5.58

159.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.14 ¥14.50

74.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.96 ¥13.30

-12.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.49 ¥10.07

9.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.90 ¥6.08

26.67%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.87 ¥12.64

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$14.82 ¥100

9.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.11 ¥27.86

-24.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$10.11 ¥68.5

7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.32 ¥8.91

108.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.15 ¥7.76

5.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.92 ¥12.98

-15.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.05 ¥7.09

51.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.69 ¥4.68

102.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$1.13 ¥7.65

3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$1.00 ¥6.75

-34.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.48 ¥3.23

10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.80 ¥25.76

23.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$14.34 ¥97.1

30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.04 ¥7.07

73.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.58 ¥10.69

104.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.27 ¥1.82

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$16.65 ¥113

15.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$1.00 ¥6.79

41.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.34 ¥2.31

279.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$7.41 ¥50.2

5.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.12 ¥7.57

13.39%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$20.4K ¥138.2K

4.27%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$13.5K ¥91.7K

64.07%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$51.6 ¥350

33.80%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$10.79 ¥73.1

30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$10.25 ¥69.4

75.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$41.15 ¥279

-0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$13.99 ¥94.7

-50.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$5.31 ¥35.98

11.49%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$330 ¥2,235

-9.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$16.7K ¥113.1K

-10.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$76.1 ¥515

-28.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$37.54 ¥254

-28.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$81.6 ¥553

4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$102 ¥690

-30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$275 ¥1,863

55.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$185 ¥1,253

28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$585 ¥3,964

36.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$364 ¥2,468

41.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$2,984 ¥20.2K

-33.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,755 ¥11.9K

-15.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$565 ¥3,826

9.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

31.23%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Binzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $275 in Binzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $18.00 in Binzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $218 per month, with Binzhou 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 Binzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Chiang Mai pays 9% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $275 in Binzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $330 in Binzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 Binzhou gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Binzhou 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 Binzhou 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 Binzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.