Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foshan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Foshan 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 Foshan and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $777 per month in Foshan vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Foshan $777
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Foshan vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Foshan $1,242
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,708 per month in Foshan vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Foshan $1,708
Chiang Mai $1,914

Foshan is about 17% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Foshan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Foshan 42% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ¥25.26

$2.26 ฿75.4

67.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.79 ¥152

$19.18 ฿641

18.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.19

$5.59 ฿187

-8.59%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.50

$1.72 ฿57.6

78.49%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$0.64 ฿21.54

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.33 ฿11.18

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$2.36 ฿78.7

-48.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$3.90 ฿130

-51.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.11

$2.05 ฿68.6

-19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$1.40 ฿46.70

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$1.28 ฿42.89

-28.13%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.38

$2.25 ฿75.3

-24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 ¥112

$16.94 ฿566

-1.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.18

$2.74 ฿91.6

43.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ¥71.5

$9.36 ฿313

14.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.16

$2.40 ฿80.3

25.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.01 ฿33.92

25.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$1.61 ฿53.9

18.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.91

$1.52 ฿50.7

7.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$1.28 ฿42.90

-14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.38

$1.11 ฿37.22

-14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$0.72 ฿24.09

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.52 ฿17.54

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ¥14.89

$4.33 ฿145

-48.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$17.73 ฿593

-42.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$1.63 ฿54.4

-42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.13

$2.85 ฿95.3

-47.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.85 ฿28.31

-63.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$53.9 ฿1,801

-80.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$1.17 ฿39.18

29.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.57 ฿19.00

-17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.9

$2.37 ฿79.2

271.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$1.45 ฿48.32

-15.86%

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

$21.3K ¥142.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

3.94%

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

$16.2K ¥108.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-38.92%

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

$84.5 ¥565

$62.3 ฿2,083

35.60%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$12.27 ฿410

-35.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 ¥105

$19.97 ฿668

-21.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ¥477

$37.91 ฿1,267

88.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 ¥159

$3.76 ฿126

533.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ¥35.50

$6.71 ฿224

-20.86%

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

$457 ¥3,054

$797 ฿26.6K

-42.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ¥155.8K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

57.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 ¥282

$53.3 ฿1,780

-20.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ¥125

$25.05 ฿837

-25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥415

$91.6 ฿3,062

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 ¥614

$73.5 ฿2,455

24.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,031

$464 ฿15.5K

-34.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,061

$305 ฿10.2K

-47.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,982

$915 ฿30.6K

-34.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥2,279

$552 ฿18.5K

-38.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥28.9K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

126.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 ¥12.5K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

29.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 ¥5,362

$595 ฿19.9K

34.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

5.57

-31.24%

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

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Foshan

$220 28.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 8% $18

Accommodation & Living

Foshan

$159 20.4%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 92% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foshan

$108 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 12.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Foshan

$97 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 13.3% $13

Eating Out

Foshan

$96 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 17.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Foshan

$82 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 37.4% $31

Getting Around

Foshan

$16 2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 290% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $304 in Foshan versus $464 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 run about 35% higher in Foshan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Foshan versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $220 in Foshan vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Foshan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Foshan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

1 h behind Foshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,498,863

127,240

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Foshan Chiang Mai 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Foshan
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Foshan, 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 $1,166 per month in Foshan and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $457 per month in Foshan and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Foshan, where all-in costs run around $777, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Foshan 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. Foshan costs $777 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 Foshan. 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.