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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $682 in Guilin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,074 in Guilin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,466 in Guilin, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Guilin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Guilin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Guilin 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$4.06 ¥27.45

-51.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$18.54 ¥125

-1.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.47 ¥23.43

115.56%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.71 ¥18.34

-25.46%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.75 ¥5.05

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.27 ¥1.80

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.01 ¥6.85

111.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.15 ¥14.52

66.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.42 ¥9.59

16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.36 ¥9.21

15.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.58 ¥3.94

105.17%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.72 ¥11.59

12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$12.77 ¥86.3

26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.19 ¥21.58

-6.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$8.31 ¥56.2

31.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.79 ¥12.08

51.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.22 ¥8.24

-4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.40 ¥9.48

20.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.13 ¥7.63

41.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.68 ¥4.59

102.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.92 ¥6.20

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.60 ¥4.06

11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.95 ¥6.40

-41.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.09 ¥20.90

50.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$10.55 ¥71.3

67.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$0.90 ¥6.07

106.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.60 ¥10.81

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.27 ¥1.82

225.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$16.85 ¥114

14.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.96 ¥6.47

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.31 ¥2.06

332.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$6.79 ¥45.88

20.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.13 ¥7.61

7.96%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$19.5K ¥131.9K

9.43%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$16.7K ¥112.7K

35.13%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$27.90 ¥189

153.30%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$4.73 ¥31.94

196.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$11.51 ¥77.8

51.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$41.41 ¥280

1.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$14.07 ¥95.1

-51.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.11 ¥27.79

44.04%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$338 ¥2,281

-8.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$17.1K ¥115.3K

-12.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$43.66 ¥295

27.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$30.31 ¥205

-13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$72.3 ¥488

14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$75.5 ¥510

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$275 ¥1,858

57.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$191 ¥1,288

25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$593 ¥4,009

38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$359 ¥2,426

42.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,338 ¥9,039

43.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$1,856 ¥12.5K

-20.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$487 ¥3,291

18.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

29.20%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Guilin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $275 in Guilin. 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 19% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $19.00 in Guilin. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $190 in Guilin – so Guilin 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 Guilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Guilin, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,023 in Guilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $338 in Guilin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $682 in Guilin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guilin costs $682 versus $861 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 Guilin. 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.