Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $691 in Handan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Handan $691

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,040 in Handan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Handan $1,040

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,390 in Handan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Handan $1,390

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Handan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.83 ¥12.15

22.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$17.67 ¥117

7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.45 ¥29.58

24.72%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.68 ¥17.80

-37.69%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.42 ¥2.82

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.23 ¥1.53

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$0.71 ¥4.74

232.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.48 ¥9.82

147.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.52 ¥10.09

28.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.73 ¥4.85

97.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.73 ¥4.87

82.19%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.98 ¥6.48

132.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.99 ¥79.7

37.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.97 ¥19.75

-6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.18 ¥74.3

-16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.41 ¥9.38

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.63 ¥4.17

53.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.44 ¥9.56

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.14 ¥7.60

31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.31 ¥2.07

312.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.31 ¥2.06

254.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.56 ¥3.75

26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.38 ¥2.53

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.74 ¥24.82

10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.07 ¥66.9

73.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.70 ¥4.68

130.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.36 ¥9.03

104.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.31 ¥2.08

180.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$18.24 ¥121

196.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.94 ¥6.24

23.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.27 ¥1.81

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$4.44 ¥29.48

-45.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.32 ¥8.74

9.85%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$19.5K ¥129.8K

7.83%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$14.9K ¥98.9K

81.06%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$73.0 ¥485

-14.80%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.58 ¥30.43

165.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$5.09 ¥33.83

295.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$41.16 ¥274

-9.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.11 ¥114

-77.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.40 ¥29.26

47.50%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$213 ¥1,417

245.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$19.9K ¥132.3K

-25.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$30.04 ¥200

77.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$42.53 ¥283

-42.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$45.47 ¥302

101.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$69.3 ¥460

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$294 ¥1,952

64.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$212 ¥1,411

45.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$660 ¥4,389

52.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$338 ¥2,243

87.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,801 ¥18.6K

-15.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,092 ¥13.9K

-24.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$651 ¥4,325

-9.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Handan

$212 30.7% 31.3% $97

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Handan

$171 24.7% 27.2% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Handan

$84 12.2% 22.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Handan

$83 12% 12.5% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Handan

$69 10% 10.7% $8.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Handan

$22 3.2% 64.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Handan

$50 7.2% 0.6% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $294 in Handan. 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 10% higher in Handan, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $18 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $171 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

9,413,990

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Handan 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Handan

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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Handan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,037 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $213 in Handan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Handan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.