Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $846 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Nanjing

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $846 in Nanjing, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Nanjing $846

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,333 in Nanjing, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Nanjing $1,333

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,820 in Nanjing, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Nanjing $1,820

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Nanjing are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Nanjing 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.81 ¥25.50

-39.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$22.14 ¥148

-11.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.79 ¥32.03

17.12%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.04 ¥20.32

-45.39%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.50 ¥3.34

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.27 ¥1.81

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.52 ¥10.17

58.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.20 ¥14.68

68.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.17 ¥14.48

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.14 ¥14.30

-34.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.91 ¥6.11

43.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.30 ¥8.71

67.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.68 ¥71.4

55.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.04 ¥20.36

-9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.64 ¥57.8

5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.06 ¥13.78

16.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.23 ¥8.26

-16.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.79 ¥11.99

-8.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.10 ¥7.37

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.89 ¥5.97

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.97 ¥6.46

14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.95 ¥6.37

-24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.56 ¥3.71

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.76 ¥25.17

14.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$13.41 ¥89.7

33.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.95 ¥6.34

66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.49 ¥9.98

90.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.31 ¥2.10

177.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$30.18 ¥202

76.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.68 ¥11.21

-27.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.38 ¥2.57

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.90 ¥59.5

-73.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.35 ¥9.01

6.67%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$19.2K ¥128.3K

8.06%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$17.4K ¥116.1K

54.38%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$55.5 ¥371

12.37%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.92 ¥53.0

52.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$7.09 ¥47.42

181.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$28.56 ¥191

29.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$34.80 ¥233

-89.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.84 ¥39.03

11.30%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$1,508 ¥10.1K

-47.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$22.7K ¥152.0K

-34.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$43.37 ¥290

23.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$34.01 ¥227

-27.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$64.4 ¥431

41.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$88.6 ¥592

-19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$524 ¥3,501

-13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$295 ¥1,974

0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,117 ¥7,467

-18.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$558 ¥3,732

-0.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$5,105 ¥34.1K

-62.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$3,140 ¥21.0K

-54.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,410 ¥9,430

-58.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.42

62.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Nanjing

$295 34.9% 0.9% $2.6

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Nanjing

$205 24.2% 12.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Nanjing

$104 12.3% 4.2% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Nanjing

$70 8.3% 25.3% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Nanjing

$96 11.4% 22.7% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nanjing

$35 4.1% 42.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nanjing

$40 4.8% 19.6% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $524 in Nanjing. 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 139% higher in Nanjing, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $22.00 in Nanjing. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $205 in Nanjing – so Nanjing wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

9,314,685

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Nanjing 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nanjing

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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Nanjing, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,269 in Nanjing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,508 in Nanjing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 Nanjing, where all-in costs run around $846, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Nanjing 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. Nanjing costs $846 versus $925 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 Nanjing. 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.