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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $872 per month in Chiang Mai vs $699 in Jilin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,119 in Jilin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,539 in Jilin, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Jilin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Jilin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Jilin 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ฿64.5

$2.85 ¥19.45

-29.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.23 ฿584

$21.10 ¥144

-13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ฿245

$4.74 ¥32.34

61.39%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿61.5

$3.27 ¥22.32

-41.28%

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

$0.84 ฿26.96

$0.44 ¥2.99

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.42

$0.22 ¥1.50

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿70.2

$1.14 ¥7.80

92.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿121

$2.10 ¥14.36

80.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿52.5

$1.70 ¥11.59

-3.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿51.9

$1.55 ¥10.58

4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.96

$0.91 ¥6.18

26.37%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿62.1

$1.64 ¥11.18

18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿511

$12.60 ¥86.1

26.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ฿99.4

$3.06 ¥20.92

1.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ฿355

$10.36 ¥70.8

6.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿86.7

$1.75 ¥11.94

54.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿37.77

$1.20 ¥8.16

-1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿54.6

$1.37 ¥9.33

24.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$1.12 ¥7.67

43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.63

$0.69 ¥4.70

101.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.78

$0.96 ¥6.59

19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿22.81

$0.60 ¥4.07

18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿17.63

$0.54 ¥3.70

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿146

$3.09 ¥21.07

47.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ฿605

$10.27 ¥70.1

83.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.3

$0.81 ¥5.52

124.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿103

$1.64 ¥11.20

95.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.23

$0.27 ¥1.84

225.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿605

$16.88 ¥115

11.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.27

$1.01 ¥6.90

39.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 ฿41.68

$0.32 ¥2.21

306.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 ฿263

$6.60 ¥45.09

24.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.27

$1.16 ¥7.94

6.03%

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

$21.2K ฿678.5K

$19.6K ¥133.9K

7.98%

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

$22.3K ฿714.9K

$16.4K ¥111.9K

36.22%

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

$69.9 ฿2,239

$46.28 ¥316

50.97%

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

$14.07 ฿451

$9.97 ¥68.1

41.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.70 ฿567

$11.35 ¥77.5

55.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,327

$41.92 ¥286

-1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

$14.04 ¥95.9

-52.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ฿184

$6.44 ¥43.99

-10.87%

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

$299 ฿9,587

$339 ¥2,318

-11.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿480.9K

$17.0K ¥115.9K

-11.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,756

$43.08 ¥294

27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ฿844

$30.15 ¥206

-12.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ฿2,712

$72.8 ¥497

16.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,234

$74.4 ¥508

-6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

$282 ¥1,929

51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,713

$187 ¥1,280

28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

$581 ¥3,970

39.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

$359 ¥2,450

38.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

$3,250 ¥22.2K

-37.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.8K

$2,129 ¥14.5K

-28.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

$447 ¥3,056

42.84%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jilin: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $427 in Chiang Mai versus $282 in Jilin. 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 43% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in Jilin. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $195 in Jilin – so Jilin 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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Jilin, 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 $1,308 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,049 in Jilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jilin, 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 $339 in Jilin. 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $872 in Chiang Mai and $699 in Jilin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jilin costs $699 versus $872 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 Jilin. 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.