Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pingtung city and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Pingtung city and in Chiang Mai: $909 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Pingtung city
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Pingtung city Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Pingtung city

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$909

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $909 per month in Pingtung city vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pingtung city $909
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Pingtung city vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pingtung city $1,474
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,038 per month in Pingtung city vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pingtung city $2,038
Chiang Mai $1,914

Pingtung city is about 3% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pingtung city and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Pingtung city 33% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 NT$179

$2.26 ฿75.4

144.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.64 NT$1,026

$19.18 ฿641

64.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 NT$153

$5.59 ฿187

-15.74%

Cappuccino

$2.87 NT$93.1

$1.72 ฿57.6

66.86%

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

$0.98 NT$31.82

$0.64 ฿21.54

53.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NT$21.92

$0.33 ฿11.18

106.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 NT$49.83

$2.36 ฿78.7

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$81.6

$3.90 ฿130

-35.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.22 NT$104

$2.05 ฿68.6

57.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 NT$62.0

$1.40 ฿46.70

36.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.2

$1.28 ฿42.89

103.13%

Eggs

$2.65 NT$86.0

$2.25 ฿75.3

17.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 NT$506

$16.94 ฿566

-7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 NT$261

$2.74 ฿91.6

194.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.09 NT$489

$9.36 ฿313

61.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$140

$2.40 ฿80.3

80.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 NT$60.7

$1.01 ฿33.92

85.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 NT$80.8

$1.61 ฿53.9

54.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 NT$104

$1.52 ฿50.7

109.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 NT$38.37

$1.28 ฿42.90

-7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NT$62.7

$1.11 ฿37.22

73.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$75.6

$0.72 ฿24.09

223.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.60

$0.52 ฿17.54

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$123

$4.33 ฿145

-12.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 NT$500

$17.73 ฿593

-13.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 NT$50.2

$1.63 ฿54.4

-4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$2.85 ฿95.3

-21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 NT$15.89

$0.85 ฿28.31

-42.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$87.5

$1.17 ฿39.18

130.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$24.04

$0.57 ฿19.00

29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 NT$207

$2.37 ฿79.2

170.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.32

$1.45 ฿48.32

-28.97%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

66.38%

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

$23.0K NT$746.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-13.22%

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

$111 NT$3,590

$62.3 ฿2,083

77.60%

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

$15.11 NT$490

$12.27 ฿410

23.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 NT$833

$19.97 ฿668

28.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 NT$311

$6.71 ฿224

42.77%

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

$344 NT$11.2K

$797 ฿26.6K

-56.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$453.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-5.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NT$2,297

$53.3 ฿1,780

33.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.23 NT$1,013

$25.05 ฿837

24.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 NT$2,670

$91.6 ฿3,062

-10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,359

$73.5 ฿2,455

41.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 NT$8,018

$464 ฿15.5K

-46.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 NT$5,023

$305 ฿10.2K

-49.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 NT$24.2K

$915 ฿30.6K

-18.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 NT$12.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

-32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,912 NT$62.0K

$595 ฿19.9K

221.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

5.57

-59.25%

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

Last update for Pingtung city: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pingtung city

$334 36.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 28.6% $96

Accommodation & Living

Pingtung city

$155 17%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 96.7% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pingtung city

$152 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 37.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Pingtung city

$130 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 15.5% $20

Eating Out

Pingtung city

$112 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 29.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Pingtung city

$19 * 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 168% $32

Getting Around

Pingtung city

$8.4 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 633% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Pingtung city 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.

Salaries run about 221% higher in Pingtung city, 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 $32.00 in Pingtung city versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Pingtung city

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

1 h behind Pingtung city

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,644

127,240

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pingtung city Chiang Mai 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pingtung 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

Pingtung city vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Pingtung city, 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 $1,364 per month in Pingtung city 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 Pingtung city, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Pingtung city and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 40% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pingtung city, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Pingtung city 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. Pingtung city costs $909 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 Pingtung city. 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.