Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Qinhuangdao

For one person, living is cheaper in Qinhuangdao: $714 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Qinhuangdao
Learn more

Qinhuangdao Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Qinhuangdao

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $714 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Qinhuangdao $714

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,135 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Qinhuangdao $1,135

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,556 in Qinhuangdao, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Qinhuangdao $1,556

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Qinhuangdao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿77.3

$2.76 ¥18.36

-17.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿664

$21.79 ¥145

-9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿190

$4.88 ¥32.50

14.96%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.2

$3.04 ¥20.24

-45.39%

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

$0.70 ฿23.65

$0.47 ¥3.12

48.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.35

$0.27 ¥1.78

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.3

$0.92 ¥6.15

161.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿126

$2.13 ¥14.18

74.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿66.0

$1.85 ¥12.31

5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.55

$1.55 ¥10.33

-9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.89 ¥5.92

47.19%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.7

$1.53 ¥10.20

42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿563

$13.05 ¥86.9

27.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.2

$3.11 ¥20.71

-11.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿308

$10.33 ¥68.8

-11.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.9

$1.87 ¥12.46

27.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.64

$1.25 ¥8.32

-17.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿55.0

$1.47 ¥9.77

10.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.15 ¥7.63

30.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.61

$0.73 ¥4.87

76.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.44

$0.95 ¥6.33

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.35

$0.60 ¥3.99

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.51 ¥3.41

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿146

$3.05 ¥20.32

41.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿606

$10.69 ¥71.2

67.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.5

$0.79 ¥5.25

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿96.1

$1.64 ¥10.89

73.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿29.18

$0.27 ¥1.78

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,800

$16.97 ¥113

213.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.73

$1.42 ¥9.48

-14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.20

$0.33 ¥2.18

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$6.62 ¥44.04

-64.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.49

$1.14 ¥7.58

26.32%

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

$20.7K ฿700.5K

$19.2K ¥127.8K

7.95%

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

$26.8K ฿905.6K

$17.1K ¥113.8K

56.74%

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

$62.3 ฿2,106

$44.64 ¥297

39.63%

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

$12.11 ฿409

$9.87 ¥65.7

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿674

$11.90 ¥79.2

67.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,252

$42.14 ¥281

-12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿128

$14.09 ¥93.8

-73.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿220

$5.79 ¥38.55

12.26%

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

$793 ฿26.8K

$337 ¥2,244

135.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿500.3K

$17.2K ¥114.2K

-13.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,816

$44.18 ¥294

21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿832

$30.35 ¥202

-18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,070

$71.8 ¥478

26.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,404

$70.6 ¥470

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

$276 ¥1,835

65.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.1K

$191 ¥1,272

55.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.7K

$601 ¥3,998

51.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

$362 ¥2,413

52.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿65.2K

$3,063 ¥20.4K

-36.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.8K

$2,068 ¥13.8K

-30.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.89

43.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Qinhuangdao

$191 26.8% 35.9% $107

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Qinhuangdao

$199 27.9% 15.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Qinhuangdao

$98 13.7% 9.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Qinhuangdao

$66 9.3% 29.6% $28

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Qinhuangdao

$85 11.9% 8.2% $6.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Qinhuangdao

$21 3% 65.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Qinhuangdao

$54 7.5% 7.3% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $276 in Qinhuangdao. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Qinhuangdao. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $199 in Qinhuangdao – so Qinhuangdao wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

05:37 5:37 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,987,605

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.79 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.83 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Qinhuangdao 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Qinhuangdao

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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Qinhuangdao, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,071 in Qinhuangdao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qinhuangdao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $276 there versus $455 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $337 in Qinhuangdao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $925 in Chiang Mai and $714 in Qinhuangdao, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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