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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $845 per month in Chiang Mai vs $809 in Dalian, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,323 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,275 in Dalian, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,741 in Dalian, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Dalian, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chiang Mai and Dalian are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 37% lower, Dalian 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ฿63.2

$3.54 ¥24.20

-44.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 ฿597

$24.02 ¥164

-23.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿243

$4.72 ¥32.32

58.90%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿62.6

$3.01 ¥20.58

-35.88%

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

$0.78 ฿25.22

$0.48 ¥3.26

62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.48

$0.26 ¥1.79

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿69.6

$0.87 ¥5.96

147.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿120

$1.54 ¥10.57

140.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿55.5

$1.59 ¥10.84

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$1.51 ¥10.30

3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.27

$0.89 ¥6.05

32.58%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿64.2

$2.04 ¥13.93

-2.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ฿520

$19.26 ¥132

-16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$2.72 ¥18.59

16.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿355

$10.22 ¥69.9

7.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿85.1

$1.24 ¥8.49

112.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.82

$1.15 ¥7.85

1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.3

$1.30 ¥8.89

26.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿49.78

$0.77 ¥5.26

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿44.59

$0.73 ¥5.02

89.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.75

$0.76 ¥5.20

53.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.37

$0.73 ¥5.01

-9.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.64

$0.57 ¥3.87

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ฿146

$3.39 ¥23.20

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿594

$17.18 ¥118

6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$0.79 ¥5.39

127.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$1.48 ¥10.09

114.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.13

$0.27 ¥1.83

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿616

$27.83 ¥190

-31.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.76

$1.36 ¥9.27

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.39

$0.42 ¥2.89

211.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ฿262

$3.99 ¥27.26

102.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.31

$1.19 ¥8.12

7.56%

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

$21.3K ฿689.9K

$18.2K ¥124.4K

17.09%

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

$21.7K ฿703.2K

$15.7K ¥107.5K

38.07%

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

$69.2 ฿2,242

$43.98 ¥301

57.34%

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

$13.97 ฿453

$9.35 ¥63.9

49.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ฿582

$11.30 ¥77.3

58.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,371

$36.47 ¥249

16.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿216

$24.57 ¥168

-72.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿192

$6.65 ¥45.46

-10.98%

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

$299 ฿9,694

$458 ¥3,131

-34.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿481.1K

$9,555 ¥65.4K

55.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,820

$55.2 ¥378

1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.94 ฿873

$52.3 ¥357

-48.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ฿2,750

$105 ¥719

-19.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ฿2,327

$93.1 ¥637

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.1K

$356 ¥2,435

22.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,771

$206 ¥1,409

16.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.8K

$640 ¥4,378

24.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.1K

$358 ¥2,447

39.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.6K

$2,732 ¥18.7K

-26.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.6K

$1,592 ¥10.9K

-3.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.4K

$1,086 ¥7,431

-42.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

19.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Last update for Dalian: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Chiang Mai versus $356 in Dalian. 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 73% higher in Dalian, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Chiang Mai versus $24 in Dalian. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $221 in Dalian – so Dalian 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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Dalian, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,267 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,214 in Dalian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Chiang Mai and $458 in Dalian. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $845 in Chiang Mai and $809 in Dalian, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dalian costs $809 versus $845 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 Dalian. 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.