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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $942 per month in Chiang Mai vs $692 in Nanchong, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,105 in Nanchong, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,517 in Nanchong, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Nanchong, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chiang Mai and Nanchong are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Nanchong 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.9

$1.81 ¥12.13

14.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 ฿659

$22.82 ¥153

-12.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 ฿185

$3.07 ¥20.54

81.76%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿57.5

$2.10 ¥14.02

-17.14%

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

$0.72 ฿23.82

$0.43 ¥2.89

67.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.59

$0.31 ¥2.11

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ฿74.5

$1.17 ¥7.85

92.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿126

$1.81 ¥12.10

110.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿66.8

$1.94 ¥12.95

4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.0

$1.57 ¥10.49

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.21

$0.60 ¥4.03

133.33%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿71.3

$2.14 ¥14.33

0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 ฿518

$17.81 ¥119

-12.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.6

$3.29 ¥22.00

-10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 ฿314

$9.91 ¥66.3

-4.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ฿86.2

$1.54 ¥10.32

68.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ฿35.80

$1.32 ¥8.86

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.7

$1.20 ¥8.02

32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.09

$1.26 ¥8.44

15.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.26

$0.65 ¥4.33

96.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿36.78

$0.99 ¥6.60

12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ฿24.04

$0.82 ¥5.49

-10.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.54

$0.65 ¥4.37

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿141

$2.96 ¥19.81

44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.67 ฿585

$9.13 ¥61.1

93.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿55.7

$0.77 ¥5.15

118.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿92.8

$1.64 ¥10.97

70.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿28.64

$0.26 ¥1.74

234.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 ฿1,794

$17.60 ¥118

207.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.15

$0.88 ¥5.87

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.84

$0.31 ¥2.08

74.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.0

$2.94 ¥19.70

-18.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ฿48.46

$1.26 ¥8.40

15.87%

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

$21.0K ฿695.7K

$19.0K ¥127.3K

10.43%

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

$26.7K ฿883.8K

$17.0K ¥113.4K

57.41%

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

$62.1 ฿2,055

$44.51 ¥298

39.45%

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

$12.93 ฿428

$6.86 ¥45.88

88.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 ฿682

$7.26 ¥48.56

183.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 ฿1,298

$41.62 ¥278

-5.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿125

$14.12 ¥94.5

-73.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ฿216

$6.04 ¥40.39

7.95%

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

$803 ฿26.6K

$287 ¥1,918

180.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿486.6K

$25.4K ¥169.8K

-42.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 ฿1,850

$39.38 ¥263

41.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.51 ฿845

$29.72 ¥199

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 ฿3,015

$64.9 ¥434

40.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,427

$64.0 ¥428

14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$294 ¥1,967

64.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,542

$186 ¥1,243

55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ฿29.3K

$606 ¥4,051

46.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ฿17.3K

$375 ¥2,507

39.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 ฿65.9K

$2,776 ¥18.6K

-28.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,440 ฿47.7K

$1,972 ¥13.2K

-26.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.34

66.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 21, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Chiang Mai versus $294 in Nanchong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Nanchong. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $213 in Nanchong – so Nanchong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Nanchong, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,039 in Nanchong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $803 per month in Chiang Mai and $287 in Nanchong. 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchong, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Chiang Mai at $942. In Nanchong 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. Nanchong costs $692 versus $942 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 Nanchong. 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.