Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mianyang, Sichuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $645 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Mianyang, Sichuan

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Mianyang, Sichuan $645

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $997 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mianyang, Sichuan $997

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,349 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mianyang, Sichuan $1,349

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Mianyang, Sichuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Mianyang, Sichuan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Mianyang, Sichuan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.92 ¥19.43

-23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$18.06 ¥120

5.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.84 ¥32.21

14.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.02 ¥20.09

-44.70%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.47 ¥3.13

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.28 ¥1.87

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.54 ¥10.22

53.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.31 ¥15.40

58.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.49 ¥9.89

30.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.51 ¥10.01

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.00 ¥6.65

33.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.62 ¥10.80

40.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$14.17 ¥94.3

16.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.68 ¥24.50

-24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.20 ¥74.6

-16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.90 ¥12.67

23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.34 ¥8.89

-27.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.05 ¥6.98

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.16 ¥7.71

29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.71 ¥4.70

80.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.67 ¥4.45

64.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.61 ¥4.07

16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.54 ¥3.56

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.84 ¥25.53

7.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.53 ¥30.15

286.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.82 ¥5.43

96.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.38 ¥9.16

101.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.31 ¥2.09

180.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.06 ¥7.08

9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.28 ¥1.87

89.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$4.57 ¥30.39

-47.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.26 ¥8.37

15.08%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

6.28%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$17.9K ¥119.2K

50.42%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$47.87 ¥319

29.87%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$6.73 ¥44.77

80.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$12.85 ¥85.5

56.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$18.21 ¥121

104.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.74 ¥38.17

13.07%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$1,169 ¥7,779

-37.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$14.9K ¥98.9K

-0.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$25.08 ¥167

112.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$27.85 ¥185

-11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$56.3 ¥375

62.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$53.4 ¥355

34.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$222 ¥1,480

116.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$191 ¥1,272

61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$428 ¥2,848

134.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$329 ¥2,191

92.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,989 ¥13.2K

18.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,522 ¥10.1K

4.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$741 ¥4,932

-20.43%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6% 38.1% $118

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6% 18.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$73 11.3% 32.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.5% 28.6% $27

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$89 13.9% 15.3% $12

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.7 * 0.6% 93.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6% 41% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $222 in Mianyang, Sichuan. 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 26% higher in Mianyang, Sichuan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $18 in Mianyang, Sichuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $191 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

4,868,243

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Mianyang, Sichuan 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mianyang, Sichuan

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 Mianyang, Sichuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Mianyang, Sichuan, 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 $968 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $18 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.