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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $683 in Jining, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,014 in Jining, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,346 in Jining, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Jining, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Jining are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Jining 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$2.30 ¥15.41

-9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$16.07 ¥108

22.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.36 ¥29.27

29.59%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$2.51 ¥16.83

-27.89%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.47 ¥3.12

51.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.29 ¥1.92

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$0.91 ¥6.12

146.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.67 ¥11.21

117.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.67 ¥11.20

17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.16 ¥7.80

29.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$0.93 ¥6.22

44.09%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$0.98 ¥6.56

130.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$8.09 ¥54.3

100.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$2.89 ¥19.40

2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$10.27 ¥68.9

-3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$1.47 ¥9.88

74.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$1.01 ¥6.81

4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.06 ¥7.13

51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$1.17 ¥7.84

29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.62 ¥4.15

104.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$0.72 ¥4.83

48.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.61 ¥4.11

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.76 ¥5.13

-32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$5.18 ¥34.79

-19.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$9.39 ¥63.0

90.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.01 ¥6.76

67.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$1.62 ¥10.85

75.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.31 ¥2.10

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$20.37 ¥137

164.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.07 ¥7.18

14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.29 ¥1.92

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$3.53 ¥23.67

-31.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.27 ¥8.54

11.02%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$19.3K ¥129.8K

10.88%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$17.4K ¥116.7K

57.18%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$60.6 ¥406

5.14%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$7.15 ¥47.98

79.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$10.57 ¥70.9

91.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$41.78 ¥280

-7.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$14.84 ¥99.6

-73.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$4.45 ¥29.85

51.46%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$314 ¥2,110

147.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$7,437 ¥49.9K

96.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$51.9 ¥348

4.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$31.02 ¥208

-17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$73.0 ¥490

29.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$70.3 ¥471

4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$281 ¥1,886

74.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$179 ¥1,204

61.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$392 ¥2,629

128.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$265 ¥1,777

95.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$3,192 ¥21.4K

-38.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$1,958 ¥13.1K

-24.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$579 ¥3,887

3.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.29

69.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Jining: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $281 in Jining. 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 4% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Jining. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $171 – making Jining the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Jining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Jining, 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 $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,024 in Jining. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $778 per month in Chiang Mai and $314 in Jining. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jining, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Jining 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. Jining costs $683 versus $947 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 Jining. 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.