Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zhangjiagang

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiagang: $740 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiagang
Learn more

Zhangjiagang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Zhangjiagang

🇨🇳 China

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $740 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Zhangjiagang $740

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,149 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Zhangjiagang $1,149

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,558 in Zhangjiagang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Zhangjiagang $1,558

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

Both Chiang Mai and Zhangjiagang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Zhangjiagang 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.80 ¥25.42

-40.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$22.20 ¥148

-13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.98 ¥33.31

12.25%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.04 ¥20.32

-43.42%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.49 ¥3.29

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.27 ¥1.81

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.51 ¥10.09

56.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.22 ¥14.84

75.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.08 ¥13.89

-1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.09 ¥13.95

-33.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.84 ¥5.64

52.38%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.36 ¥9.09

65.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$10.64 ¥71.1

59.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.93 ¥19.59

-6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.12 ¥61.0

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.04 ¥13.65

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.29 ¥8.64

-21.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.80 ¥12.03

-10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.11 ¥7.39

36.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.90 ¥5.99

42.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.90 ¥6.03

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.87 ¥5.80

-17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.53 ¥3.51

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.64 ¥24.37

18.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$13.44 ¥89.9

31.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.94 ¥6.27

73.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.56 ¥10.44

82.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.30 ¥1.99

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$17.58 ¥118

206.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.76 ¥11.78

-33.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.39 ¥2.60

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$8.76 ¥58.6

-72.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.37 ¥9.14

5.84%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$19.2K ¥128.2K

6.78%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$16.9K ¥112.7K

57.31%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$55.8 ¥373

11.80%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$7.76 ¥51.9

58.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$7.32 ¥48.97

172.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$36.15 ¥242

4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$16.01 ¥107

-76.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$6.07 ¥40.60

10.54%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$418 ¥2,793

90.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$22.3K ¥149.4K

-33.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$42.99 ¥287

23.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$34.04 ¥228

-26.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$65.7 ¥439

39.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$88.5 ¥591

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$280 ¥1,869

66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$194 ¥1,295

57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$719 ¥4,808

27.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$324 ¥2,167

70.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$3,266 ¥21.8K

-41.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,685 ¥11.3K

-14.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.42

62.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Zhangjiagang

$194 26.2% 36.4% $111

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Zhangjiagang

$204 27.6% 14.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Zhangjiagang

$104 14.1% 5% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Zhangjiagang

$71 9.6% 25.1% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Zhangjiagang

$97 13.1% 22.6% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Zhangjiagang

$22 3% 63.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Zhangjiagang

$48 6.5% 5.9% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $280 in Zhangjiagang. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $22.00 in Zhangjiagang. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $204 in Zhangjiagang – so Zhangjiagang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Zhangjiagang

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

13:32 1:32 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,432,044

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zhangjiagang 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zhangjiagang

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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Zhangjiagang, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,110 in Zhangjiagang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $418 in Zhangjiagang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 Zhangjiagang, where all-in costs run around $740, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Zhangjiagang 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. Zhangjiagang costs $740 versus $938 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 Zhangjiagang. 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.