Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yuncheng

For one person, living is cheaper in Yuncheng: $727 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Yuncheng
Learn more

Yuncheng Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Yuncheng

🇨🇳 China

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $727 in Yuncheng, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Yuncheng $727

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,139 in Yuncheng, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Yuncheng $1,139

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,551 in Yuncheng, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Yuncheng $1,551

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Yuncheng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Yuncheng are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Yuncheng 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.96 ¥13.11

16.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$17.81 ¥119

10.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.38 ¥29.31

28.08%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.15 ¥14.37

-22.79%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.36 ¥2.38

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.27 ¥1.79

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$0.93 ¥6.25

159.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.52 ¥10.18

144.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.43 ¥9.57

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.68 ¥11.21

-16.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.90 ¥6.04

45.56%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.44 ¥9.61

51.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$11.73 ¥78.4

41.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.04 ¥27.04

-31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.59 ¥70.8

-13.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.63 ¥10.88

46.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.16 ¥7.78

-11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.28 ¥8.58

27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.33 ¥8.86

12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.65 ¥4.34

98.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.75 ¥5.02

48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.57 ¥3.82

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.55 ¥3.66

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.31 ¥22.16

30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.52 ¥63.6

88.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.76 ¥5.09

107.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.74 ¥11.61

63.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.29 ¥1.91

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$17.62 ¥118

202.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.78 ¥5.21

55.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.31 ¥2.08

83.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$4.37 ¥29.20

-46.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.30 ¥8.68

10.77%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$19.1K ¥127.4K

8.78%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$17.8K ¥119.1K

50.48%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$89.2 ¥596

-30.12%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.32 ¥42.28

91.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$10.49 ¥70.2

90.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$41.61 ¥278

-10.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$15.17 ¥101

-75.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.74 ¥38.41

13.24%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$696 ¥4,656

13.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$17.5K ¥117.2K

-15.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$38.90 ¥260

38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$37.65 ¥252

-34.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$74.7 ¥499

21.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$90.1 ¥602

-21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$304 ¥2,036

49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$180 ¥1,206

65.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$617 ¥4,124

47.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$372 ¥2,488

48.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,511 ¥23.5K

-45.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,965 ¥13.1K

-26.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.35

66.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Yuncheng: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Yuncheng

$180 24.8% 39.5% $118

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Yuncheng

$193 26.6% 18% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Yuncheng

$109 14.9% 0.4% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Yuncheng

$106 14.6% 12.3% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Yuncheng

$65 8.9% 17.5% $14

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Yuncheng

$21 2.9% 65.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Yuncheng

$53 7.3% 6.1% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $304 in Yuncheng. 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 $18.00 in Yuncheng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $193 – making Yuncheng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Yuncheng

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

10:31 10:31 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,300,000

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Yuncheng 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yuncheng

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 Yuncheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Yuncheng, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,091 in Yuncheng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yuncheng, 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 $696 in Yuncheng. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 Yuncheng, where all-in costs run around $727, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Yuncheng 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. Yuncheng costs $727 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 Yuncheng. 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.