Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanzhong and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanzhong: $692 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hanzhong
🇨🇳 China
$692
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Hanzhong vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Hanzhong $692
  • Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,110 per month in Hanzhong vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Hanzhong $1,110
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,527 per month in Hanzhong vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Hanzhong $1,527
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

Hanzhong is about 25% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hanzhong and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Hanzhong 49% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.75 ¥18.38
$2.29 ฿76.5
20.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.25 ¥122
$19.64 ฿656
-7.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.53 ¥30.27
$5.61 ฿188
-19.25%
Cappuccino
$2.18 ¥14.55
$1.66 ฿55.6
31.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 ¥2.70
$0.70 ฿23.40
-42.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ¥1.74
$0.31 ฿10.24
-16.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.53 ¥10.21
$2.41 ฿80.4
-36.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 ¥10.19
$3.71 ฿124
-59.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ¥9.68
$1.95 ฿65.3
-25.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 ¥11.17
$1.41 ฿47.03
18.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.91 ¥6.10
$1.31 ฿43.62
-30.53%
Eggs
$1.43 ¥9.53
$2.18 ฿72.9
-34.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.80 ¥78.9
$16.65 ฿556
-29.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.17 ¥27.85
$2.76 ฿92.2
51.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.31 ¥69.0
$9.11 ฿304
13.17%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ¥11.23
$2.39 ฿80.0
-29.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.10 ¥7.35
$1.03 ฿34.26
6.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ¥8.55
$1.63 ฿54.4
-21.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 ¥8.52
$1.50 ฿50.0
-15.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ¥4.31
$1.29 ฿43.13
-49.61%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 ¥4.72
$1.11 ฿37.03
-36.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.19
$0.72 ฿24.08
-12.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 ¥3.96
$0.53 ฿17.59
11.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.44 ¥22.99
$4.31 ฿144
-20.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 ¥65.6
$17.95 ฿600
-45.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥5.18
$1.58 ฿52.9
-50.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ¥11.71
$2.84 ฿95.0
-38.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.91
$0.86 ฿28.86
-66.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.20 ¥122
$53.3 ฿1,780
-65.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.24 ¥8.27
$1.21 ฿40.29
2.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 ¥1.91
$0.57 ฿18.99
-49.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.58 ¥30.62
$2.35 ฿78.6
94.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ¥8.46
$1.44 ฿47.96
-12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.1K ¥128.0K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
-7.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K ¥118.8K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
-33.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$41.30 ¥276
$62.3 ฿2,083
-33.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.82 ¥38.95
$12.11 ฿405
-51.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.63 ¥71.1
$19.94 ฿666
-46.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.88 ¥273
$37.07 ฿1,239
10.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.70 ¥98.3
$3.78 ฿126
288.89%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 ¥34.07
$6.50 ฿217
-21.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$703 ¥4,703
$793 ฿26.5K
-11.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.2K ¥114.9K
$14.8K ฿494.9K
16.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.35 ¥256
$53.7 ฿1,796
-28.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.56 ¥251
$24.62 ฿823
52.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.8 ¥494
$90.9 ฿3,036
-18.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.3 ¥617
$71.1 ฿2,378
29.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$293 ¥1,958
$455 ฿15.2K
-35.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$184 ¥1,227
$298 ฿9,954
-38.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$637 ¥4,260
$908 ฿30.4K
-29.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$375 ¥2,506
$554 ฿18.5K
-32.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,538 ¥23.7K
$1,931 ฿64.5K
83.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,918 ¥12.8K
$1,445 ฿48.3K
32.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hanzhong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$588 ¥3,929
$591 ฿19.7K
-0.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.1
5.57
-44.34%

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

Last update for Hanzhong: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Hanzhong
$194
Chiang Mai
$235 21.3% $41
Accommodation & Living
Hanzhong
$184
Chiang Mai
$298 62.3% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Hanzhong
$109
Chiang Mai
$108 0.7% $0.8
Eating Out
Hanzhong
$75
Chiang Mai
$79 4.7% $3.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hanzhong
$58
Chiang Mai
$94 63.4% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Hanzhong
$51
Chiang Mai
$50 2% $1
Getting Around
Hanzhong
$22
Chiang Mai
$61 176% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $293 in Hanzhong versus $455 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 1% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Hanzhong versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $235 – making Hanzhong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Hanzhong
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
07:50 7:50 AM
06:50 6:50 AM
1 h behind Hanzhong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,416,196
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hanzhong Chiang Mai 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hanzhong
  • 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
Hanzhong vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hanzhong or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 34% more than Hanzhong, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Hanzhong and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,039 per month in Hanzhong and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hanzhong or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hanzhong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Hanzhong and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Hanzhong and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Hanzhong or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 21% 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.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Hanzhong or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hanzhong, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Hanzhong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hanzhong or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hanzhong costs $692 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Hanzhong compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Hanzhong or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Hanzhong. 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.

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