Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jilin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $722 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
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Jilin Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $722 in Jilin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Jilin $722

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,195 in Jilin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Jilin $1,195

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,669 in Jilin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Jilin $1,669

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Jilin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Jilin 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.05 ¥20.31

-26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$22.62 ¥151

-16.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.17 ¥34.37

7.35%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.43 ¥22.83

-51.31%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.44 ¥2.96

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.27 ¥1.80

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.09 ¥7.24

116.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.31 ¥15.39

58.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.75 ¥11.64

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.61 ¥10.70

-10.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.99 ¥6.59

34.34%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.57 ¥10.46

45.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$15.29 ¥102

7.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.12 ¥20.73

-10.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.08 ¥73.7

-15.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.88 ¥12.51

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.27 ¥8.44

-23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.47 ¥9.79

8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.29 ¥8.62

16.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.66 ¥4.38

93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.02 ¥6.79

7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.59 ¥3.96

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.59 ¥3.91

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.77 ¥25.12

9.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$10.21 ¥68.0

71.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.76 ¥5.07

111.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.60 ¥10.65

73.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.34 ¥2.28

155.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$17.48 ¥116

209.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.08 ¥7.17

7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.26 ¥1.73

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.13 ¥47.44

-66.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.27 ¥8.43

14.17%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$19.8K ¥132.1K

6.12%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$17.6K ¥116.9K

53.41%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$61.3 ¥408

1.47%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.26 ¥55.0

47.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$10.67 ¥71.0

88.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$39.37 ¥262

-5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$16.99 ¥113

-77.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.41 ¥42.67

1.25%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$440 ¥2,930

67.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$17.7K ¥117.5K

-16.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$42.55 ¥283

25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$32.53 ¥217

-24.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$76.4 ¥508

19.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$76.0 ¥506

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$244 ¥1,623

97.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$163 ¥1,085

89.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$584 ¥3,884

72.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$406 ¥2,704

55.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,551 ¥23.6K

-33.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,139 ¥14.2K

-25.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$441 ¥2,935

33.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.36

65.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jilin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Jilin

$163 22.6% 47.2% $146

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Jilin

$209 28.9% 10.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Jilin

$102 14.2% 5.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jilin

$80 11.1% 15.1% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Jilin

$94 13% 21.2% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jilin

$21 2.9% 65.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Jilin

$52 7.2% 3.8% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $244 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 34% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Jilin. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $209 in Jilin – so Jilin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Jilin

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,623,713

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Jilin 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jilin

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 Jilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,083 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $440 in Jilin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Jilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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