Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Binzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Binzhou: $775 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Binzhou
Learn more

Binzhou Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Binzhou

🇨🇳 China

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Binzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $775 in Binzhou.

Chiang Mai $938
Binzhou $775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,224 in Binzhou.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Binzhou $1,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $1,672 in Binzhou.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Binzhou $1,672

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 21% more expensive than in Binzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Binzhou 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.02 ¥20.20

-25.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$17.67 ¥118

8.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.40 ¥29.44

27.05%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.69 ¥18.00

-36.06%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.51 ¥3.39

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.30 ¥2.00

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.05 ¥7.03

124.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.55 ¥17.08

52.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.93 ¥12.91

6.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.36 ¥9.09

2.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.04 ¥6.94

23.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.30 ¥8.68

73.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$16.40 ¥110

3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.42 ¥29.55

-38.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.53 ¥63.7

-1.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.47 ¥9.80

63.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.20 ¥8.00

-15.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.69 ¥11.33

-4.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.30 ¥8.70

16.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.68 ¥4.57

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.97 ¥6.47

14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.93 ¥6.24

-22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.61 ¥4.05

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.76 ¥25.15

15.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$14.72 ¥98.4

20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.03 ¥6.86

58.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.63 ¥10.91

74.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.29 ¥1.93

193.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$17.01 ¥114

216.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.04 ¥6.95

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.45 ¥2.99

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$8.82 ¥59.0

-73.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.27 ¥8.52

14.17%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$19.7K ¥131.7K

3.93%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$16.5K ¥110.4K

60.56%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$67.8 ¥453

-8.09%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$6.88 ¥46.00

78.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$7.89 ¥52.7

153.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$41.59 ¥278

-8.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$14.50 ¥97.0

-74.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.67 ¥37.90

18.34%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$368 ¥2,462

116.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$17.8K ¥118.7K

-16.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$52.2 ¥349

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$47.93 ¥320

-47.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$93.8 ¥627

-2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$89.8 ¥600

-18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$296 ¥1,980

56.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$184 ¥1,232

65.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$624 ¥4,173

46.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$378 ¥2,529

46.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$3,388 ¥22.7K

-43.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,677 ¥11.2K

-14.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$567 ¥3,788

5.06%

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Binzhou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Binzhou

$184 23.8% 39.5% $120

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Binzhou

$223 28.8% 6.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Binzhou

$128 16.5% 16.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Binzhou

$83 10.7% 12.7% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Binzhou

$83 10.7% 5.4% $4.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Binzhou

$21 2.8% 65% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Binzhou

$53 6.8% 3.1% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $296 in Binzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 5% 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 $238 vs $223 per month, with Binzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Binzhou

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,748,500

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Binzhou 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Binzhou

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 Binzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $296 in Binzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $368 in Binzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $775 in Binzhou versus $938 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 21% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.