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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $651 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,043 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,435 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 43% more than Liaocheng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Liaocheng are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Liaocheng 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$2.59 ¥17.36

-19.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$13.35 ¥89.4

46.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.95 ¥33.17

14.55%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.82 ¥12.21

-0.55%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.37 ¥2.45

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.23 ¥1.54

52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$0.79 ¥5.27

179.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.02 ¥13.52

87.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.45 ¥9.75

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.48 ¥9.90

2.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.92 ¥6.13

52.17%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.18 ¥7.92

91.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$11.75 ¥78.7

37.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.91 ¥19.46

-0.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$11.09 ¥74.3

-15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.52 ¥10.20

76.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.07 ¥7.14

1.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$1.74 ¥11.67

-6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$1.21 ¥8.12

20.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.64 ¥4.26

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.74 ¥4.97

43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.53 ¥3.57

35.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.62 ¥4.12

-14.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.25 ¥15.07

88.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$10.23 ¥68.5

78.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.67 ¥4.50

143.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.31 ¥8.75

121.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.31 ¥2.09

183.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$20.47 ¥137

162.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.17 ¥7.81

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.31 ¥2.09

87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$4.43 ¥29.67

-46.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.13 ¥7.60

28.32%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$19.1K ¥127.6K

10.29%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$15.2K ¥101.5K

74.34%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$44.09 ¥295

44.36%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$5.81 ¥38.92

121.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$5.06 ¥33.91

305.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$40.62 ¥272

-3.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$14.43 ¥96.7

-72.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$4.40 ¥29.48

49.55%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$219 ¥1,468

257.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$19.7K ¥131.6K

-25.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$33.34 ¥223

65.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$30.12 ¥202

-17.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$71.6 ¥479

31.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$59.5 ¥398

24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$305 ¥2,044

60.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$184 ¥1,233

56.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$678 ¥4,544

31.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$378 ¥2,534

37.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$3,157 ¥21.1K

-37.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$1,278 ¥8,558

13.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$580 ¥3,887

3.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.13

77.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Liaocheng: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $305 in Liaocheng. 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 Liaocheng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $187 – making Liaocheng 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 Liaocheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 43% more than Liaocheng, 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 $977 in Liaocheng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $784 per month in Chiang Mai and $219 in Liaocheng. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 Liaocheng, where all-in costs run around $651, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Liaocheng 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. Liaocheng costs $651 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 Liaocheng. 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.