Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zhongli City

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,005 in Zhongli City, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Zhongli City despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Zhongli City
Learn more

Zhongli City Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Zhongli City

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,005 in Zhongli City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Zhongli City $1,005

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,698 in Zhongli City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Zhongli City $1,698

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,392 in Zhongli City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Zhongli City $2,392

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Zhongli City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Zhongli City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Zhongli City 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.60 NT$150

-51.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$30.45 NT$993

-37.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.86 NT$158

14.20%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.52 NT$82.3

-33.73%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.99 NT$32.20

-35.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.68 NT$22.12

-54.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.50 NT$48.99

57.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.68 NT$87.4

36.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$3.22 NT$105

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.67 NT$54.5

-13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.62 NT$85.3

-49.24%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.51 NT$81.7

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$12.15 NT$396

35.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.60 NT$215

-57.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.66 NT$511

-40.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.64 NT$119

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.85 NT$60.5

-47.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.93 NT$95.6

-45.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.13 NT$69.5

-29.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.22 NT$39.89

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.86 NT$60.5

-40.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.29 NT$74.7

-69.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.88 NT$28.56

-44.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.80 NT$124

8.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$15.54 NT$507

12.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.54 NT$50.2

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.42 NT$78.9

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.59 NT$19.37

47.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$33.95 NT$1,107

59.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.57 NT$83.8

-54.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.52 NT$16.84

1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$9.25 NT$301

-73.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.95 NT$31.02

52.63%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$34.4K NT$1.1M

-38.83%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$22.3K NT$726.4K

20.94%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$101 NT$3,288

-38.35%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$14.83 NT$484

-17.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$16.67 NT$544

20.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$36.46 NT$1,189

2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.03 NT$327

-35.29%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$332 NT$10.8K

121.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$16.7K NT$543.5K

-11.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$71.3 NT$2,323

-25.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$34.96 NT$1,140

-29.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$53.6 NT$1,749

70.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$105 NT$3,437

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$440 NT$14.4K

9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$246 NT$8,019

25.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$857 NT$28.0K

17.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$720 NT$23.5K

-12.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$6,314 NT$205.9K

-62.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,301 NT$140.2K

-63.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,257 NT$73.6K

-73.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.1

165.24%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Zhongli City

$246 24.5% 20.4% $63

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Zhongli City

$308 30.7% 31.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Zhongli City

$119 11.9% 9.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Zhongli City

$132 13.2% 40.1% $38

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Zhongli City

$101 10.1% 30.4% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Zhongli City

$41 4.1% 32.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Zhongli City

$57 5.6% 12.4% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $440 in Zhongli City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Zhongli City are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $30 in Zhongli City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $308 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇼 Zhongli City

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

396,453

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.41 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zhongli City 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zhongli City

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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongli City costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,508 in Zhongli City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $440 in Zhongli City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $332 in Zhongli City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Zhongli City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,005 in Zhongli City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,005 in Zhongli City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zhongli City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.