Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Heze

For one person, living is cheaper in Heze: $694 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Heze
Learn more

Heze Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Heze

🇨🇳 China

$694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $694 in Heze, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Heze $694

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,076 in Heze, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Heze $1,076

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,458 in Heze, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Heze $1,458

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

Both Chiang Mai and Heze are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Heze 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.7

$2.57 ¥17.17

-12.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿644

$10.85 ¥72.5

76.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

$4.80 ¥32.07

16.46%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.9

$2.57 ¥17.16

-33.07%

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

$0.64 ฿21.63

$0.46 ¥3.08

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.22

$0.21 ¥1.40

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$0.88 ¥5.88

168.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

$2.05 ¥13.69

90.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

$1.44 ¥9.63

42.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.89

$1.47 ¥9.84

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.23 ¥8.23

4.07%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.06 ¥7.08

112.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿568

$11.66 ¥77.9

45.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.0

$3.35 ¥22.36

-18.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

$11.26 ¥75.2

-16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.42 ¥9.46

69.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.05

$1.02 ¥6.80

-0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.1

$1.37 ¥9.13

17.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.10 ¥7.37

38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.07

$0.57 ¥3.81

124.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.36

$0.72 ¥4.81

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.18

$0.58 ¥3.85

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

$0.62 ¥4.12

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.78 ¥25.25

14.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿595

$9.93 ¥66.3

78.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$0.68 ¥4.52

139.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.7

$1.31 ¥8.72

117.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.42

$0.31 ¥2.05

174.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,808

$19.56 ¥131

175.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.33

$1.02 ¥6.81

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.07

$0.27 ¥1.81

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.5

$4.58 ¥30.60

-48.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$0.94 ¥6.31

54.26%

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

$20.5K ฿686.9K

$19.6K ¥130.8K

4.57%

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

$26.5K ฿889.5K

$14.8K ¥98.8K

79.23%

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

$62.3 ฿2,091

$73.8 ¥493

-15.52%

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

$12.27 ฿412

$6.86 ¥45.85

78.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿670

$5.25 ¥35.06

280.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,272

$44.78 ¥299

-15.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$16.66 ¥111

-77.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

$5.17 ¥34.54

29.79%

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

$797 ฿26.7K

$219 ¥1,466

263.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$19.9K ¥132.7K

-25.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,787

$34.41 ¥230

54.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿840

$42.30 ¥283

-40.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,074

$58.8 ¥393

55.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,465

$51.8 ¥346

41.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

$302 ¥2,015

53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$182 ¥1,218

67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

$622 ¥4,153

47.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$369 ¥2,467

49.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.1K

$3,496 ¥23.4K

-45.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$1,956 ¥13.1K

-26.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$602 ¥4,021

-1.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.13

77.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Heze: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Heze

$182 26.3% 40.2% $122

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Heze

$187 26.9% 21.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Heze

$84 12.1% 23% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Heze

$86 12.4% 9.2% $8.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Heze

$77 11.1% 2.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Heze

$23 3.3% 62.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Heze

$55 7.9% 7.4% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $302 in Heze. 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 1% higher in Heze, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Heze. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $187 – making Heze the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Heze

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

15:10 3:10 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

8,795,939

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Heze 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Heze

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 Heze: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Heze, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,042 in Heze. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $219 in Heze. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heze, where all-in costs run around $694, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Heze it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Heze costs $694 versus $938 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 Heze. 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.