Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kunshan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $714 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
Learn more

Kunshan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $714 per month in Kunshan vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kunshan $714
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Kunshan vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kunshan $1,137
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Kunshan vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kunshan $1,560
Chiang Mai $1,914

Kunshan is about 24% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kunshan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kunshan 47% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.46

$2.26 ฿75.4

22.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.65 ¥145

$19.18 ฿641

12.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.35

$5.59 ฿187

-10.73%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.60

$1.72 ฿57.6

79.07%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.64 ฿21.54

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.33 ฿11.18

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

$2.36 ฿78.7

-61.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.32

$3.90 ฿130

-45.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$2.05 ฿68.6

-9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$1.40 ฿46.70

13.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$1.28 ฿42.89

-26.56%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.65

$2.25 ฿75.3

-29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 ¥86.5

$16.94 ฿566

-23.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 ¥21.02

$2.74 ฿91.6

14.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 ¥68.1

$9.36 ฿313

8.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.40 ฿80.3

-24.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.01 ฿33.92

23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.99

$1.61 ฿53.9

-7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.64

$1.52 ฿50.7

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$1.28 ฿42.90

-42.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.11 ฿37.22

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.72 ฿24.09

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.44

$0.52 ฿17.54

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.68

$4.33 ฿145

-28.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$17.73 ฿593

-39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$1.63 ฿54.4

-54.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$2.85 ฿95.3

-42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.85 ฿28.31

-65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.02 ¥114

$53.9 ฿1,801

-68.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.37

$1.17 ฿39.18

19.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.57 ฿19.00

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 ¥43.38

$2.37 ฿79.2

173.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.58

$1.45 ฿48.32

-22.07%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-4.74%

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

$16.9K ¥113.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-36.15%

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

$45.06 ¥301

$62.3 ฿2,083

-27.71%

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

$9.74 ¥65.1

$12.27 ฿410

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 ¥78.5

$19.97 ฿668

-41.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 ¥281

$37.91 ฿1,267

10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 ¥92.9

$3.76 ฿126

269.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 ¥40.04

$6.71 ฿224

-10.73%

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

$337 ¥2,252

$797 ฿26.6K

-57.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

13.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 ¥288

$53.3 ฿1,780

-19.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 ¥202

$25.05 ฿837

20.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ¥473

$91.6 ฿3,062

-22.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ¥477

$73.5 ฿2,455

-2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,834

$464 ฿15.5K

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,271

$305 ฿10.2K

-37.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ¥3,948

$915 ฿30.6K

-35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ¥2,455

$552 ฿18.5K

-33.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,017 ¥20.2K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

57.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,058 ¥13.8K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

43.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

5.57

-30.16%

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

Last update for Kunshan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kunshan

$199 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 19.6% $39

Accommodation & Living

Kunshan

$190 26.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 60.2% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Kunshan

$97 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 13% $13

Eating Out

Kunshan

$86 12%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 8% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kunshan

$67 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 42.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Kunshan

$54 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 4.9% $2.7

Getting Around

Kunshan

$21 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 189% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Kunshan 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Kunshan versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Kunshan vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Kunshan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

1 h behind Kunshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,092,496

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kunshan Chiang Mai 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kunshan
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 31% more than Kunshan, 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 $1,070 per month in Kunshan 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 Kunshan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $337 per month in Kunshan 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 20% 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 Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kunshan 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. Kunshan costs $714 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 Kunshan. 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.