Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,041 in Chiayi, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Chiayi despite lower rent and utilities.

50

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
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Chiayi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,041

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiayi and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,041 per month in Chiayi vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chiayi $1,041
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,471 per month in Chiayi vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chiayi $1,471
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,901 per month in Chiayi vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chiayi $1,901
Chiang Mai $1,979

Chiayi costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiayi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Chiayi 24% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 NT$150

$2.24 ฿75.6

104.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.34 NT$1,511

$19.00 ฿641

143.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 NT$184

$5.55 ฿187

1.80%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NT$107

$1.67 ฿56.5

97.01%

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

$0.85 NT$27.72

$0.64 ฿21.55

32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.81

$0.31 ฿10.31

116.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 NT$97.2

$2.36 ฿79.6

26.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 NT$117

$3.66 ฿124

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 NT$96.2

$1.95 ฿65.8

51.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NT$63.5

$1.44 ฿48.48

35.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 NT$99.5

$1.33 ฿45.04

129.32%

Eggs

$2.63 NT$85.8

$2.28 ฿77.1

15.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.97 NT$619

$16.45 ฿555

15.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 NT$322

$2.78 ฿93.9

255.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.28 NT$694

$9.31 ฿314

128.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 NT$154

$2.35 ฿79.4

100.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 NT$107

$0.97 ฿32.80

238.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$93.5

$1.60 ฿53.9

79.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 NT$138

$1.50 ฿50.6

182.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 NT$86.2

$1.28 ฿43.12

107.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 NT$71.6

$1.10 ฿37.19

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NT$56.1

$0.71 ฿23.82

142.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NT$36.48

$0.49 ฿16.37

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$122

$4.14 ฿140

-9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.48 NT$146

$17.52 ฿591

-74.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 NT$51.4

$1.61 ฿54.5

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 NT$69.5

$2.78 ฿94.0

-23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.12 NT$395

$54.1 ฿1,826

-77.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 NT$82.8

$1.16 ฿39.06

118.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 NT$14.70

$0.53 ฿17.80

-15.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 NT$292

$2.42 ฿81.8

270.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.62

$1.45 ฿48.90

-31.03%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

61.78%

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

$23.5K NT$765.9K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-12.81%

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

$64.7 NT$2,108

$62.2 ฿2,098

4.01%

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

$17.55 NT$572

$12.17 ฿411

44.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.76 NT$872

$20.12 ฿679

33.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.55 NT$996

$37.31 ฿1,259

-18.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 NT$314

$6.49 ฿219

48.23%

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

$712 NT$23.2K

$736 ฿24.8K

-3.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K NT$525.9K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

9.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 NT$2,027

$53.4 ฿1,801

16.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 NT$1,272

$24.64 ฿831

58.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 NT$2,698

$91.5 ฿3,087

-9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NT$3,317

$71.9 ฿2,428

41.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 NT$12.2K

$482 ฿16.3K

-22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 NT$7,940

$309 ฿10.4K

-21.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,070 NT$100.1K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

29.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,843 NT$60.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

15.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,038 NT$66.4K

$590 ฿19.9K

245.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

5.57

-56.91%

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

Last update for Chiayi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiayi

$372 35.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 36.9% $137

Accommodation & Living

Chiayi

$244 23.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 26.9% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chiayi

$129 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 15.5% $20

Eating Out

Chiayi

$121 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 36% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiayi

$109 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 13.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiayi

$50 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 1% $0.5

Getting Around

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 263% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $374 in Chiayi versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiayi are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Chiayi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

1 h behind Chiayi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,874

127,240

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.39 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiayi Chiang Mai 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiayi
Chiang Mai

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

Chiayi vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi costs about 11% 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 $1,561 per month in Chiayi and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiayi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $374 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $712 per month in Chiayi and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Chiayi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,041 in Chiayi and $936 in Chiang Mai. 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 $1,041 in Chiayi. 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, Chiayi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.