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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $524 in Putian, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $853 in Putian, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,183 in Putian, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 81% more than Putian, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chiang Mai and Putian are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Putian 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

$2.25 ¥15.11

-7.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$23.31 ¥156

-15.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$5.36 ¥35.89

5.41%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$2.53 ¥16.98

-28.46%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$0.44 ¥2.92

61.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.31 ¥2.09

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$0.76 ¥5.08

194.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.93 ¥19.65

23.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.53 ¥10.24

28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$2.26 ¥15.16

-33.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$0.99 ¥6.65

35.35%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$1.62 ¥10.85

39.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$11.91 ¥79.8

36.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$2.44 ¥16.35

20.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$12.06 ¥80.8

-17.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$2.61 ¥17.50

-1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$1.43 ¥9.58

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.66 ¥11.14

-3.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$2.02 ¥13.53

-24.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$0.94 ¥6.32

35.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$1.84 ¥12.33

-41.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$0.87 ¥5.86

-17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.54 ¥3.60

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.05 ¥20.41

37.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$10.96 ¥73.5

63.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$0.84 ¥5.64

101.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$1.71 ¥11.48

66.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$0.72 ¥4.85

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$21.92 ¥147

145.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$1.46 ¥9.81

-15.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.31 ¥2.08

87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$6.93 ¥46.46

-65.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$1.27 ¥8.52

11.02%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

12.31%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$17.2K ¥115.3K

58.88%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$43.23 ¥290

47.28%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$8.56 ¥57.4

50.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$10.20 ¥68.4

98.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$10.15 ¥68.0

-33.60%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$481 ¥3,221

61.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$23.9K ¥159.9K

-38.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$39.04 ¥262

39.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$29.01 ¥194

-12.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$105 ¥702

-9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$86.9 ¥582

-15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$2,607 ¥17.5K

-24.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$1,136 ¥7,615

29.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$477 ¥3,194

26.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.46

60.98%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Putian: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 26% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Putian. Groceries tell a different story – $240 in Chiang Mai vs $217 in Putian – so Putian 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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 81% more than Putian, 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 $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $785 in Putian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $778 per month in Chiang Mai and $481 in Putian. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 Putian, where all-in costs run around $524, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Putian 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. Putian costs $524 versus $947 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 Putian. 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.