Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Thailand

Name: Thailand
Address: TH

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $990 in Thailand, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Thailand
Learn more

Thailand Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇹🇭 Thailand

$990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Thailand

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $990 in Thailand.

China $791
Thailand $990

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,614 in Thailand.

China $1,251
Thailand $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $2,238 in Thailand.

China $1,711
Thailand $2,238

Internal cost variation is higher in Thailand: monthly costs span $608 to $2,241, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Thailand.

Living in China costs about 20% less than in Thailand on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Thailand 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.84

$2.98 ฿101

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$26.37 ฿891

-16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.66

$6.69 ฿226

-22.27%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.77

$2.02 ฿68.1

47.03%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.66 ฿22.20

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.33 ฿11.12

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$2.26 ฿76.5

-52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.18

$3.65 ฿123

-37.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.98

$1.79 ฿60.4

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.17

$1.34 ฿45.15

25.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$1.23 ฿41.38

-25.20%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.75

$2.03 ฿68.5

-20.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.2

$16.57 ฿560

-19.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.31

$2.98 ฿101

12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.7

$10.84 ฿366

4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.14

$2.96 ฿100

-38.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.71

$1.26 ฿42.44

3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$2.03 ฿68.5

-26.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.49

$1.71 ฿57.8

-25.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.74

$1.47 ฿49.60

-51.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$1.32 ฿44.41

-29.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.14 ฿38.48

-45.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.48 ฿16.33

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.19

$4.27 ฿144

-11.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.9

$16.99 ฿574

-28.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.55

$1.66 ฿56.1

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$2.74 ฿92.7

-38.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.91 ฿30.87

-68.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$34.94 ฿1,180

-48.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$1.16 ฿39.29

28.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$1.16 ฿39.04

-68.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.31

$5.77 ฿195

23.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$1.34 ฿45.32

-5.97%

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

$19.4K ¥129.6K

$30.7K ฿1.0M

-36.57%

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

$17.5K ¥116.9K

$26.6K ฿897.6K

-34.03%

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

$54.6 ¥364

$81.7 ฿2,760

-33.24%

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

$8.73 ¥58.2

$12.47 ฿421

-29.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.8

$18.20 ฿615

-39.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥272

$50.2 ฿1,694

-18.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.5

$11.64 ฿393

24.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.19

$6.41 ฿216

5.77%

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

$517 ¥3,443

$558 ฿18.8K

-7.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥132.0K

$12.3K ฿415.7K

60.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$52.3 ฿1,766

-11.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥238

$31.83 ฿1,075

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥513

$88.2 ฿2,980

-12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥535

$78.5 ฿2,651

2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,572

$495 ฿16.7K

-22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,563

$320 ฿10.8K

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,478

$1,355 ฿45.8K

-39.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,020

$771 ฿26.0K

-41.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$3,611 ฿122.0K

30.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$2,072 ฿70.0K

14.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,286

$562 ฿19.0K

94.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.67

-38.98%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Thailand: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Thailand

$320 32.3% 36.3% $85

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Thailand

$246 24.8% 16.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Thailand

$113 11.4% 4.8% $5.2

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Thailand

$91 9.2% 2.9% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Thailand

$112 11.4% 51.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Thailand

$63 6.4% 15.9% $8.6

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Thailand

$46 4.6% 104% $23

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $463 in Thailand. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $713 in Bangkok.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $612 in Thailand. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 55% higher in Thailand.

Dining out costs 23% more in Thailand.

Public transport is 139% more expensive in Thailand.

Salaries are 43% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇹🇭 Thailand

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

1 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

66,188,503

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.65 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Thailand 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

China
Thailand

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

China vs Thailand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $990 in Thailand, there’s a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $463 in Thailand and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; Thailand may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.