Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,185 in New Taipei City, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in New Taipei City
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New Taipei City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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New Taipei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,185

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in New Taipei City vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Taipei City $1,185
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,998 per month in New Taipei City vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Taipei City $1,998
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,810 per month in New Taipei City vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Taipei City $2,810
Chiang Mai $1,979

New Taipei City costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New Taipei City and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – New Taipei City 13% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 NT$152

$2.24 ฿75.6

108.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.83 NT$1,005

$19.00 ฿641

62.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 NT$169

$5.55 ฿187

-6.67%

Cappuccino

$2.31 NT$75.4

$1.67 ฿56.5

38.32%

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

$0.82 NT$26.80

$0.64 ฿21.54

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 NT$17.19

$0.31 ฿10.31

70.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$51.7

$2.36 ฿79.5

-33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$79.3

$3.66 ฿124

-33.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NT$102

$1.95 ฿65.7

60.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 NT$60.4

$1.44 ฿48.46

28.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 NT$69.6

$1.33 ฿45.03

60.15%

Eggs

$2.15 NT$70.1

$2.28 ฿77.1

-5.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.36 NT$794

$16.45 ฿555

48.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 NT$347

$2.78 ฿93.9

283.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 NT$616

$9.31 ฿314

103.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 NT$131

$2.35 ฿79.4

70.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NT$81.2

$0.97 ฿32.79

156.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 NT$89.9

$1.60 ฿53.9

72.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 NT$131

$1.50 ฿50.6

167.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 NT$129

$1.28 ฿43.11

209.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 NT$67.8

$1.10 ฿37.18

89.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 NT$51.9

$0.71 ฿23.82

123.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NT$32.93

$0.49 ฿16.36

106.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 NT$140

$4.14 ฿140

3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 NT$299

$17.52 ฿591

-47.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$44.40

$1.61 ฿54.5

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NT$74.3

$2.78 ฿93.9

-17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 NT$20.66

$0.87 ฿29.30

-27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.16 NT$1,212

$54.1 ฿1,825

-31.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NT$86.7

$1.16 ฿39.04

129.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 NT$30.71

$0.53 ฿17.80

77.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 NT$305

$2.42 ฿81.7

286.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 NT$32.28

$1.45 ฿48.88

-31.72%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

57.48%

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

$23.6K NT$768.0K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-12.58%

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

$112 NT$3,650

$62.2 ฿2,098

80.05%

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

$16.63 NT$542

$12.17 ฿411

36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 NT$750

$20.12 ฿679

14.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.65 NT$1,227

$37.31 ฿1,259

0.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.72 NT$252

$3.77 ฿127

104.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 NT$347

$6.49 ฿219

64.10%

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

$634 NT$20.7K

$736 ฿24.8K

-13.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K NT$683.8K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

42.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.02 NT$1,142

$53.4 ฿1,801

-34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.03 NT$1,012

$24.64 ฿831

25.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,910

$91.5 ฿3,087

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 NT$3,202

$71.9 ฿2,427

36.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 NT$20.0K

$482 ฿16.3K

27.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 NT$10.9K

$309 ฿10.4K

8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 NT$44.9K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

36.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 NT$30.0K

$633 ฿21.4K

45.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K NT$331.8K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

330.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,980 NT$195.0K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

276.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,359 NT$44.3K

$590 ฿19.9K

130.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.81

5.57

-49.55%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

New Taipei City

$380 32.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 38.4% $146

Accommodation & Living

New Taipei City

$335 28.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 7.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Taipei City

$152 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 37.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

New Taipei City

$114 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 4.8% $5.4

Eating Out

New Taipei City

$99 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 21.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

New Taipei City

$59 5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14.7% $8.7

Getting Around

New Taipei City

$47 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 30.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in New Taipei City 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 in New Taipei City are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in New Taipei City versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 New Taipei City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

1 h behind New Taipei City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,004,367

127,240

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.41 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 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 TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New Taipei City Chiang Mai 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New Taipei City
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

New Taipei City vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,778 per month in New Taipei City 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $613 in New Taipei City.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in New Taipei City 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 62% more in New Taipei City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,185 in New Taipei City and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,185 in New Taipei City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Taipei City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.