Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rui'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Rui'an: $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
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Rui'an
Learn more

Rui'an Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Rui'an

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Rui'an

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

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

Chiang Mai $925
Rui'an $714

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,133 in Rui'an, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Rui'an $1,133

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,552 in Rui'an, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Rui'an $1,552

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.83 ¥18.91

-19.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$21.42 ¥143

-8.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.92 ¥32.91

14.02%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.11 ¥20.77

-46.62%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.43 ¥2.89

62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.29 ¥1.96

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$0.92 ¥6.17

161.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.06 ¥13.79

80.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.85 ¥12.39

5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.61 ¥10.73

-12.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.95 ¥6.34

37.89%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.55 ¥10.38

40.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.91 ¥86.3

28.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.24 ¥21.64

-14.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.13 ¥67.7

-10.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.79 ¥11.95

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.20 ¥8.03

-14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.54 ¥10.32

5.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.14 ¥7.64

31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.69 ¥4.61

86.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.92 ¥6.14

20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.60 ¥4.00

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.55 ¥3.70

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.22 ¥21.50

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$10.43 ¥69.7

72.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.74 ¥4.93

113.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.65 ¥11.04

72.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.27 ¥1.80

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$16.57 ¥111

221.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.38 ¥9.21

-12.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.32 ¥2.17

78.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.72 ¥44.95

-65.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.13 ¥7.53

27.43%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$19.4K ¥130.0K

6.66%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$17.4K ¥116.1K

54.28%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$44.23 ¥296

40.92%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$10.04 ¥67.1

20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$11.61 ¥77.6

71.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$41.34 ¥276

-10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$13.91 ¥93.0

-72.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.77 ¥38.60

12.65%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$341 ¥2,279

132.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$16.5K ¥110.6K

-10.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$43.27 ¥289

24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$30.29 ¥203

-18.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$71.0 ¥475

27.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$72.3 ¥484

-1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$275 ¥1,839

65.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$192 ¥1,285

54.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$600 ¥4,010

51.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$362 ¥2,418

53.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,056 ¥20.4K

-36.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,008 ¥13.4K

-28.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

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 Rui'an: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Rui'an

$192 26.9% 35.5% $106

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Rui'an

$199 27.8% 15.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Rui'an

$98 13.7% 9.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Rui'an

$66 9.2% 30.2% $29

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Rui'an

$86 12.1% 9.8% $7.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Rui'an

$21 2.9% 66% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Rui'an

$53 7.4% 5.7% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $275 in Rui'an. 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 $21.00 in Rui'an. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $199 in Rui'an – so Rui'an wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Rui'an

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

00:12 12:12 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

213,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Rui'an 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rui'an

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 Rui'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Rui'an, 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 Rui'an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $341 in Rui'an. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rui'an, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Rui'an 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. Rui'an costs $714 versus $925 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 Rui'an. 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.