Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pingtung city

For one person, living is cheaper in Pingtung city: $890 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Pingtung city
Learn more

Pingtung city Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Pingtung city

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$890

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Pingtung city

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $890 in Pingtung city, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pingtung city $890

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,441 in Pingtung city, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pingtung city $1,441

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,993 in Pingtung city, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pingtung city $1,993

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Pingtung city, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Pingtung city are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Pingtung city 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.51 NT$147

-50.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$30.78 NT$1,003

-38.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.74 NT$154

17.09%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.95 NT$96.3

-43.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.02 NT$33.23

-37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.64 NT$20.76

-51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.46 NT$47.49

61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.43 NT$79.3

50.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$3.22 NT$105

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.87 NT$60.8

-22.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.54 NT$82.9

-47.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.55 NT$83.3

-10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$15.44 NT$504

6.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$7.67 NT$250

-63.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.97 NT$488

-37.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.32 NT$141

-45.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.92 NT$62.7

-49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.53 NT$82.5

-36.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.02 NT$98.6

-50.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.22 NT$39.81

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.86 NT$60.8

-40.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.26 NT$73.8

-68.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.84 NT$27.39

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.72 NT$121

11.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$15.66 NT$511

11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.54 NT$50.2

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.16 NT$70.6

28.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.48 NT$15.66

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.63 NT$85.7

-55.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.80 NT$26.00

-33.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.25 NT$204

-61.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.99 NT$32.36

46.46%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$34.7K NT$1.1M

-39.39%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$22.2K NT$722.4K

21.60%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$108 NT$3,527

-42.52%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$14.35 NT$468

-15.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$25.28 NT$824

-20.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.96 NT$325

-34.84%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$328 NT$10.7K

124.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$13.6K NT$443.2K

8.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$69.5 NT$2,267

-23.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$30.29 NT$988

-18.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$80.8 NT$2,635

13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$100 NT$3,268

-28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$243 NT$7,923

98.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$153 NT$5,000

101.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$713 NT$23.2K

41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$372 NT$12.1K

70.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,946 NT$63.4K

-69.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.27

145.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pingtung city: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pingtung city

$153 17.2% 50.4% $156

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pingtung city

$329 37% 40.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pingtung city

$126 14.2% 16.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pingtung city

$148 16.6% 56.5% $53

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pingtung city

$105 11.8% 34.8% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pingtung city

$8.5 * 1% 86.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pingtung city

$20 * 2.2% 60.4% $30

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 $243 in Pingtung city. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Pingtung city are about 3.3 times higher, 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 $31 in Pingtung city. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $329 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇼 Pingtung city

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

12:12 12:12 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

201,644

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.41 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pingtung city 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pingtung city

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 Pingtung city: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Pingtung city, 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 $1,334 in Pingtung city. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pingtung city, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $243 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $31 in Pingtung city. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 29% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $890 in Pingtung city, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pingtung city – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.