Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qinhuangdao and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Qinhuangdao: $714 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Qinhuangdao
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Qinhuangdao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Qinhuangdao

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $714 per month in Qinhuangdao vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Qinhuangdao $714
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,135 per month in Qinhuangdao vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Qinhuangdao $1,135
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,556 per month in Qinhuangdao vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Qinhuangdao $1,556
Chiang Mai $1,903

Qinhuangdao is about 23% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Qinhuangdao and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Qinhuangdao 47% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.36

$2.29 ฿77.3

20.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.79 ¥145

$19.64 ฿664

10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ¥32.50

$5.61 ฿190

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.24

$1.66 ฿56.2

83.13%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.70 ฿23.65

-32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$0.31 ฿10.35

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.41 ฿81.3

-61.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.18

$3.71 ฿126

-42.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.31

$1.95 ฿66.0

-5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.33

$1.41 ฿47.55

9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$1.31 ฿44.10

-32.06%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.20

$2.18 ฿73.7

-29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 ¥86.9

$16.65 ฿563

-21.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ¥20.71

$2.76 ฿93.2

12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 ¥68.8

$9.11 ฿308

13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.46

$2.39 ฿80.9

-21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.32

$1.03 ฿34.64

21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.77

$1.63 ฿55.0

-9.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.63

$1.50 ฿50.6

-23.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$1.29 ฿43.61

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$1.11 ฿37.44

-14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.72 ฿24.35

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.41

$0.53 ฿17.79

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 ¥20.32

$4.31 ฿146

-29.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 ¥71.2

$17.95 ฿606

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.25

$1.58 ฿53.5

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.89

$2.84 ฿96.1

-42.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$0.86 ฿29.18

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.97 ¥113

$53.3 ฿1,800

-68.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.48

$1.21 ฿40.73

17.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.57 ฿19.20

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ¥44.04

$2.35 ฿79.5

181.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.58

$1.44 ฿48.49

-20.83%

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

$19.2K ¥127.8K

$20.7K ฿700.5K

-7.36%

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

$17.1K ¥113.8K

$26.8K ฿905.6K

-36.20%

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

$44.64 ¥297

$62.3 ฿2,106

-28.38%

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

$9.87 ¥65.7

$12.11 ฿409

-18.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.90 ¥79.2

$19.94 ฿674

-40.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.14 ¥281

$37.07 ฿1,252

13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 ¥93.8

$3.78 ฿128

272.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 ¥38.55

$6.50 ฿220

-10.92%

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

$337 ¥2,244

$793 ฿26.8K

-57.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥114.2K

$14.8K ฿500.3K

15.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 ¥294

$53.7 ฿1,816

-17.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 ¥202

$24.62 ฿832

23.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥478

$90.9 ฿3,070

-20.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥470

$71.1 ฿2,404

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,835

$455 ฿15.4K

-39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,272

$298 ฿10.1K

-35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 ¥3,998

$908 ฿30.7K

-33.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ¥2,413

$554 ฿18.7K

-34.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥20.4K

$1,931 ฿65.2K

58.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$1,445 ฿48.8K

43.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿20.0K

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 Qinhuangdao: 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

Qinhuangdao

$199 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 18.3% $36

Accommodation & Living

Qinhuangdao

$191 26.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 55.9% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Qinhuangdao

$98 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 10.8% $11

Eating Out

Qinhuangdao

$85 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 7.6% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qinhuangdao

$66 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 42.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Qinhuangdao

$54 7.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.8% $3.7

Getting Around

Qinhuangdao

$21 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 188% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Qinhuangdao 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Qinhuangdao versus $20 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Qinhuangdao vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Qinhuangdao wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h behind Qinhuangdao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,987,605

127,240

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.79 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.83 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Qinhuangdao Chiang Mai 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Qinhuangdao
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Qinhuangdao, 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 $1,071 per month in Qinhuangdao and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qinhuangdao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $276 there versus $455 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $337 per month in Qinhuangdao and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $714 in Qinhuangdao and $925 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Qinhuangdao – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.