Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mianyang, Sichuan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $645 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$645

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $645 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $645
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $997 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $997
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,349 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $1,349
Chiang Mai $1,979

Mianyang, Sichuan is about 31% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mianyang, Sichuan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mianyang, Sichuan 53% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.40

$2.24 ฿75.6

30.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.06 ¥120

$19.00 ฿641

-4.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.17

$5.55 ฿187

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.06

$1.67 ฿56.5

80.84%

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

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.64 ฿21.54

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.31 ฿10.31

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ¥10.21

$2.36 ฿79.5

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.38

$3.66 ฿124

-36.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$1.95 ฿65.7

-23.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ¥10.00

$1.44 ฿48.46

4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$1.33 ฿45.03

-24.81%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.79

$2.28 ฿77.1

-28.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 ¥94.2

$16.45 ฿555

-13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ¥24.46

$2.78 ฿93.9

32.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 ¥74.5

$9.31 ฿314

20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.66

$2.35 ฿79.4

-19.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.88

$0.97 ฿32.79

38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ¥6.97

$1.60 ฿53.9

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.70

$1.50 ฿50.6

-22.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.69

$1.28 ฿43.11

-44.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$1.10 ฿37.18

-39.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.71 ฿23.82

-14.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.56

$0.49 ฿16.36

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.49

$4.14 ฿140

-7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 ¥30.11

$17.52 ฿591

-74.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.43

$1.61 ฿54.5

-49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 ¥9.14

$2.78 ฿93.9

-50.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.87 ฿29.30

-64.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.16 ฿39.04

-8.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.53 ฿17.80

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 ¥30.35

$2.42 ฿81.7

88.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$1.45 ฿48.88

-13.10%

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

$19.8K ¥131.7K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-5.91%

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

$17.9K ¥119.0K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-33.52%

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

$47.87 ¥318

$62.2 ฿2,098

-23.00%

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

$6.73 ¥44.71

$12.17 ฿411

-44.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.85 ¥85.4

$20.12 ฿679

-36.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.21 ¥121

$37.31 ฿1,259

-51.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ¥38.12

$6.49 ฿219

-11.56%

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

$1,169 ¥7,769

$736 ฿24.8K

58.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥98.8K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

0.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.08 ¥167

$53.4 ฿1,801

-53.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ¥185

$24.64 ฿831

13.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 ¥374

$91.5 ฿3,087

-38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 ¥355

$71.9 ฿2,427

-25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 ¥1,478

$482 ฿16.3K

-53.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,270

$309 ฿10.4K

-38.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ¥2,844

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-57.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,188

$633 ฿21.4K

-48.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 ¥13.2K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-15.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,522 ¥10.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-4.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$741 ¥4,925

$590 ฿19.9K

25.68%

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 Mianyang, Sichuan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 61.6% $118

Groceries & Markets

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 22.9% $44

Eating Out

Mianyang, Sichuan

$89 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 13.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Mianyang, Sichuan

$73 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 48.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 40% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 69.4% $21

Getting Around

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.7 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1545% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Mianyang, Sichuan 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 26% higher in Mianyang, Sichuan, 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 $18 in Mianyang, Sichuan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $234 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

20:35 8:35 PM

1 h behind Mianyang, Sichuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,868,243

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 = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 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

Mianyang, Sichuan Chiang Mai 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mianyang, Sichuan
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

Mianyang, Sichuan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Mianyang, Sichuan, 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 $968 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan 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 Mianyang, Sichuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Mianyang, Sichuan and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.