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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $696 in Rizhao, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,109 in Rizhao, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,522 in Rizhao, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Rizhao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Rizhao are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Rizhao 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$2.56 ¥17.19

-18.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$18.82 ¥126

4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.99 ¥33.49

13.23%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$1.87 ¥12.57

-3.21%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.44 ¥2.98

61.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.23 ¥1.54

39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$0.86 ¥5.79

160.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.97 ¥13.22

84.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.58 ¥10.58

24.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.40 ¥9.38

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$0.43 ¥2.88

211.63%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.18 ¥7.95

91.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$11.74 ¥78.8

38.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$3.24 ¥21.72

-8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$10.95 ¥73.5

-9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$2.07 ¥13.89

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$1.07 ¥7.17

-0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$0.76 ¥5.11

111.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$1.34 ¥8.96

13.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.69 ¥4.64

84.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$0.80 ¥5.36

33.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.53 ¥3.53

35.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.61 ¥4.10

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.82 ¥25.64

9.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$10.02 ¥67.2

78.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$0.71 ¥4.73

138.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$1.31 ¥8.78

116.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.31 ¥2.09

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$15.44 ¥104

248.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.17 ¥7.84

5.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.31 ¥2.10

87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$4.35 ¥29.16

-44.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.21 ¥8.13

16.53%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$18.9K ¥127.0K

13.31%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$15.1K ¥101.2K

81.19%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$71.2 ¥478

-10.56%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$6.63 ¥44.50

93.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$5.04 ¥33.82

301.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$36.13 ¥242

7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$14.93 ¥100

-73.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$5.83 ¥39.10

15.61%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$211 ¥1,418

267.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$20.2K ¥135.8K

-27.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$34.20 ¥229

58.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$43.00 ¥289

-40.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$71.2 ¥477

32.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$70.0 ¥470

4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$294 ¥1,975

66.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$188 ¥1,258

54.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$612 ¥4,106

46.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$373 ¥2,502

38.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$3,572 ¥24.0K

-45.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$1,893 ¥12.7K

-21.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.13

77.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Rizhao: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $294 in Rizhao. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $19.00 in Rizhao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $186 – making Rizhao 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 Rizhao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Rizhao, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,044 in Rizhao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $778 per month in Chiang Mai and $211 in Rizhao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rizhao, where all-in costs run around $696, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Rizhao 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. Rizhao costs $696 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 Rizhao. 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.