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: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $787 in Binzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $1,229 in Binzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $1,671 in Binzhou.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 20% more expensive than in Binzhou, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Binzhou 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$3.00 ¥20.11

-30.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$17.64 ¥118

11.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.57 ¥30.65

23.63%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$2.69 ¥18.08

-32.71%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.55 ¥3.66

29.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.30 ¥2.01

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$1.13 ¥7.57

98.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.66 ¥17.86

36.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.88 ¥12.63

4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.37 ¥9.17

9.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$1.02 ¥6.83

31.37%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.30 ¥8.72

73.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$15.92 ¥107

2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$4.39 ¥29.46

-32.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$9.97 ¥66.9

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$1.39 ¥9.33

84.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$1.14 ¥7.66

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.65 ¥11.08

-2.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$1.26 ¥8.44

20.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.71 ¥4.76

78.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$0.95 ¥6.40

12.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.94 ¥6.28

-23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.60 ¥4.02

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.65 ¥24.51

14.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$14.46 ¥97.0

23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.06 ¥7.13

59.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$1.62 ¥10.86

75.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.31 ¥2.11

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$19.62 ¥132

174.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.02 ¥6.84

20.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.41 ¥2.76

41.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$8.74 ¥58.6

-72.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.24 ¥8.32

13.71%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$19.3K ¥129.7K

10.97%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$16.6K ¥111.5K

64.44%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$69.0 ¥463

-7.70%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$6.93 ¥46.49

85.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$7.91 ¥53.1

155.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$40.49 ¥272

-4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$15.17 ¥102

-73.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$5.96 ¥39.96

13.09%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$361 ¥2,422

115.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$17.7K ¥118.5K

-17.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$51.1 ¥343

6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$48.12 ¥323

-47.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$93.1 ¥624

1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$90.5 ¥607

-18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$291 ¥1,954

68.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$183 ¥1,228

58.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$610 ¥4,091

46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$375 ¥2,516

37.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$2,781 ¥18.7K

-29.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$1,722 ¥11.6K

-14.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$562 ¥3,768

7.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.37

65.28%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Binzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $291 in Binzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 7% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $18.00 in Binzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $221 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $291 in Binzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $778 in Chiang Mai versus $361 in Binzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Binzhou versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binzhou but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Binzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 20% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.