Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guizhou and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Guizhou: $603 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Guizhou
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Guizhou Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Guizhou

🇨🇳 China

$603

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $603 per month in Guizhou vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Guizhou $603
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $972 per month in Guizhou vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Guizhou $972
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,340 per month in Guizhou vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Guizhou $1,340
Chiang Mai $1,979

Guizhou is about 36% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guizhou and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Guizhou 56% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 ¥17.82

$2.24 ฿75.6

19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.33 ¥142

$19.00 ฿641

12.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.20

$5.55 ฿187

0.72%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ¥18.63

$1.67 ฿56.5

67.66%

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

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.64 ฿21.54

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.65

$0.31 ฿10.31

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.11

$2.36 ฿79.5

-67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.19

$3.66 ฿124

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.26

$1.95 ฿65.7

-5.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥11.92

$1.44 ฿48.46

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.35

$1.33 ฿45.03

-39.85%

Eggs

$1.91 ¥12.70

$2.28 ฿77.1

-16.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 ¥51.2

$16.45 ฿555

-53.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ¥31.77

$2.78 ฿93.9

71.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ¥72.8

$9.31 ฿314

17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.93

$2.35 ฿79.4

-11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.71

$0.97 ฿32.79

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.14

$1.60 ฿53.9

-5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ¥9.51

$1.50 ฿50.6

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.54

$1.28 ฿43.11

-46.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ¥5.19

$1.10 ฿37.18

-29.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.71 ฿23.82

-49.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.59

$0.49 ฿16.36

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ¥19.60

$4.14 ฿140

-28.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 ¥50.4

$17.52 ฿591

-56.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.29

$1.61 ฿54.5

-50.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ¥7.86

$2.78 ฿93.9

-57.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.87 ฿29.30

-56.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥182

$54.1 ฿1,825

-49.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.87

$1.16 ฿39.04

27.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.53 ฿17.80

-45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 ¥34.13

$2.42 ฿81.7

111.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.38

$1.45 ฿48.88

-13.10%

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

$18.4K ¥122.7K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-12.42%

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

$16.3K ¥108.3K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-39.61%

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

$29.56 ¥197

$62.2 ฿2,098

-52.45%

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

$6.40 ¥42.61

$12.17 ฿411

-47.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.06 ¥40.34

$20.12 ฿679

-69.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.89 ¥152

$37.31 ฿1,259

-38.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ¥79.1

$3.77 ฿127

215.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ¥50.9

$6.49 ฿219

17.87%

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

$251 ¥1,671

$736 ฿24.8K

-65.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ¥75.6K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-23.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.71 ¥224

$53.4 ฿1,801

-36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.38 ¥149

$24.64 ฿831

-9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 ¥490

$91.5 ฿3,087

-19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.86 ¥285

$71.9 ฿2,427

-40.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ¥1,768

$482 ฿16.3K

-44.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 ¥917

$309 ฿10.4K

-55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ¥2,575

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ¥1,625

$633 ฿21.4K

-61.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,815 ¥12.1K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-23.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 ¥7,253

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-31.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$698 ¥4,643

$590 ฿19.9K

18.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

5.57

-38.96%

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

Last update for Guizhou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guizhou

$193 32.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 21.2% $41

Accommodation & Living

Guizhou

$138 22.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 124% $171

Eating Out

Guizhou

$82 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 5.6% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Guizhou

$78 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 39.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guizhou

$42 7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 125% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Guizhou

$38 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 31.7% $12

Getting Around

Guizhou

$32 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 93.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $266 in Guizhou 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 run about 18% higher in Guizhou, 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 $21 in Guizhou versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Guizhou vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Guizhou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guizhou

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

1 h behind Guizhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 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 = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guizhou Chiang Mai 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Guizhou
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Guizhou, 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 $904 per month in Guizhou 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 Guizhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $266 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $251 per month in Guizhou 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 21% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Guizhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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