Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hua-lien

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,054 in Hua-lien, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Hua-lien despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Hua-lien
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Hua-lien Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Hua-lien

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,054 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Hua-lien $1,054

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,788 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Hua-lien $1,788

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,522 in Hua-lien, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Hua-lien $2,522

Chiang Mai is about 11% cheaper than Hua-lien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Hua-lien are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Hua-lien 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.08 NT$133

-45.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$27.90 NT$910

-31.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.13 NT$135

34.38%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.62 NT$85.3

-36.26%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.93 NT$30.42

-31.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.53 NT$17.23

-41.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.33 NT$43.26

77.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.04 NT$66.4

79.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.74 NT$89.2

-28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.64 NT$53.5

-12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$4.53 NT$148

-70.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.93 NT$62.9

18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$19.15 NT$624

-14.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.93 NT$193

-53.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$25.47 NT$831

-63.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.67 NT$87.0

-11.99%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.44 NT$79.5

-60.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.20 NT$104

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.09 NT$101

-51.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.29 NT$74.7

-44.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.35 NT$76.5

-53.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.99 NT$64.9

-64.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.96 NT$31.42

-48.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.76 NT$122

10.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$12.33 NT$402

42.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.85 NT$60.4

-12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.30 NT$74.9

20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.60 NT$19.45

45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$33.87 NT$1,104

59.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$3.07 NT$100

-62.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.30 NT$9.64

76.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$9.86 NT$321

-75.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.91 NT$29.62

59.34%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$35.5K NT$1.2M

-40.64%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$23.7K NT$772.4K

13.73%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$99.3 NT$3,237

-37.37%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$18.72 NT$610

-34.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$12.53 NT$409

60.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$35.49 NT$1,157

5.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.12 NT$330

-35.87%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$729 NT$23.8K

1.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$16.2K NT$527.1K

-8.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$55.5 NT$1,811

-3.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$34.63 NT$1,129

-28.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$76.5 NT$2,495

19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$103 NT$3,359

-30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$417 NT$13.6K

15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$254 NT$8,268

21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,025 NT$33.4K

-1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$749 NT$24.4K

-15.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$7,568 NT$246.7K

-68.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,914 NT$160.2K

-67.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,802 NT$91.4K

-78.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.13

161.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Hua-lien

$254 24.1% 17.9% $55

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Hua-lien

$359 34.1% 53.2% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Hua-lien

$121 11.5% 11.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Hua-lien

$131 12.4% 38.2% $36

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Hua-lien

$93 8.8% 19.9% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Hua-lien

$41 3.9% 33.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Hua-lien

$56 5.3% 10.8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $417 in Hua-lien. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hua-lien are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $28 in Hua-lien. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $359 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇼 Hua-lien

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

105,034

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.39 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Hua-lien 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien costs about 13% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,581 in Hua-lien. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hua-lien, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $417 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $729 in Hua-lien. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Hua-lien, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,054 in Hua-lien. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,054 in Hua-lien. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hua-lien makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.