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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $494 in Kaifeng, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $799 in Kaifeng, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,104 in Kaifeng, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 89% more than Kaifeng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Kaifeng are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Kaifeng 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$1.74 ¥11.65

19.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$13.29 ¥89.1

47.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.18 ¥28.00

35.65%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.51 ¥16.82

-27.89%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.38 ¥2.57

102.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.14 ¥0.93

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$0.92 ¥6.19

140.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$1.65 ¥11.05

129.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.54 ¥10.32

33.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.52 ¥10.15

-0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.85 ¥5.72

64.71%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.91 ¥6.08

148.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$6.87 ¥46.02

135.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.37 ¥15.85

22.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$10.01 ¥67.0

-5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$0.84 ¥5.63

219.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.97 ¥6.46

12.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.63 ¥4.21

157.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.61 ¥4.08

139.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.63 ¥4.19

103.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.68 ¥4.56

55.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.23 ¥1.55

213.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.52 ¥3.50

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.99 ¥20.04

41.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$14.62 ¥97.9

25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.00 ¥6.71

63.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.01 ¥13.46

44.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.16 ¥1.07

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.16 ¥7.79

0.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.14 ¥0.91

314.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$3.50 ¥23.42

-31.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.23 ¥8.24

17.89%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$19.4K ¥130.1K

8.17%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$14.6K ¥97.8K

81.00%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$44.50 ¥298

43.03%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$4.91 ¥32.86

162.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$5.18 ¥34.71

296.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$29.77 ¥199

31.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$10.58 ¥70.8

-62.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$3.67 ¥24.61

79.29%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$311 ¥2,080

152.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$22.1K ¥147.9K

-33.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$52.7 ¥353

4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$31.45 ¥211

-21.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$70.3 ¥471

33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$43.85 ¥294

68.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$121 ¥808

306.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$90.2 ¥604

219.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$221 ¥1,479

303.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$175 ¥1,175

196.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$579 ¥3,878

3.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.1

79.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Kaifeng. 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 $13.00 in Kaifeng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $164 – making Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 89% more than Kaifeng, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $741 in Kaifeng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $13.00 in Kaifeng. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kaifeng, where all-in costs run around $494, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Kaifeng 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. Kaifeng costs $494 versus $932 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 Kaifeng. 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.