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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $731 in Nanning, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,163 in Nanning, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,596 in Nanning, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Nanning, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chiang Mai and Nanning are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Nanning 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.1

$3.07 ¥20.54

-32.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿651

$20.35 ¥136

-3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿188

$5.62 ¥37.65

0.89%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.9

$2.41 ¥16.14

-24.90%

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

$0.77 ฿25.51

$0.59 ¥3.95

30.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.46

$0.27 ¥1.78

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$0.91 ¥6.09

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$2.26 ¥15.14

67.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.0

$2.24 ¥14.99

-8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.3

$2.20 ¥14.75

-31.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.44

$1.11 ¥7.42

26.13%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.0

$2.03 ¥13.57

11.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿538

$10.59 ¥70.9

52.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.2

$3.89 ¥26.08

-25.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿313

$17.21 ¥115

-45.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿88.9

$1.79 ¥11.96

49.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.18

$1.31 ¥8.78

-16.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.7

$1.51 ¥10.13

7.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.48

$1.66 ¥11.14

-12.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.42

$0.91 ¥6.07

40.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.12

$1.17 ¥7.81

-9.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.81

$0.53 ¥3.57

35.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.46

$0.62 ¥4.17

-14.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿140

$4.19 ¥28.05

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿607

$14.77 ¥99.0

23.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.1

$0.97 ¥6.51

68.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.58 ¥10.57

83.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.16

$0.50 ¥3.33

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,785

$15.85 ¥106

239.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿38.93

$1.30 ¥8.72

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.20

$0.47 ¥3.13

23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$7.36 ¥49.31

-67.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.15

$1.24 ¥8.31

16.94%

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

$21.0K ฿697.6K

$23.3K ¥156.1K

-9.83%

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

$26.4K ฿877.3K

$13.5K ¥90.2K

96.12%

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

$63.7 ฿2,113

$32.95 ¥221

93.17%

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

$12.89 ฿428

$14.29 ¥95.7

-9.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿681

$10.48 ¥70.2

95.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,295

$75.7 ¥507

-48.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$7.39 ¥49.50

-46.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿218

$6.59 ¥44.16

-0.15%

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

$784 ฿26.0K

$300 ¥2,009

161.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿487.1K

$4,500 ¥30.1K

226.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,830

$19.97 ¥134

175.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿821

$30.13 ¥202

-17.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,125

$64.9 ¥434

45.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,455

$73.9 ¥495

0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$249 ¥1,671

96.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,568

$153 ¥1,022

88.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

$376 ¥2,515

137.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$294 ¥1,968

77.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.5K

$3,414 ¥22.9K

-42.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

$1,555 ¥10.4K

-7.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$667 ¥4,468

-9.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.63

53.44%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Nanning: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $249 in Nanning. 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 11% higher in Nanning, 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 $20.00 in Nanning. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai 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 Nanning: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Nanning, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,096 in Nanning. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanning, 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 $300 in Nanning. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanning, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Nanning 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. Nanning costs $731 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 Nanning. 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.