Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Shanghai vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shanghai $1,222
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,971 per month in Shanghai vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shanghai $1,971
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Shanghai vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shanghai $2,720
Chiang Mai $1,979

Shanghai costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Shanghai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 10% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.11

$2.24 ฿75.7

102.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥201

$19.00 ฿642

58.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.04

$5.55 ฿188

-7.93%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥22.70

$1.67 ฿56.6

104.19%

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

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.64 ฿21.56

-9.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.31 ฿10.32

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$2.36 ฿79.6

-47.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.37

$3.66 ฿124

-36.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.52

$1.95 ฿65.8

-3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$1.44 ฿48.51

34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$1.33 ฿45.07

-26.32%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.31

$2.28 ฿77.1

-25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.02 ¥113

$16.45 ฿556

3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ¥21.41

$2.78 ฿94.0

15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 ¥86.0

$9.31 ฿314

38.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.31

$2.35 ฿79.5

-8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.48

$0.97 ฿32.82

78.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.51

$1.60 ฿53.9

26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$1.50 ฿50.7

15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$1.28 ฿43.15

-35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.10 ฿37.22

-16.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.48

$0.71 ฿23.84

-5.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.49 ฿16.38

20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.10

$4.14 ฿140

-8.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 ¥73.4

$17.52 ฿592

-37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$1.61 ฿54.5

-44.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$2.78 ฿94.0

-42.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$0.87 ฿29.33

-34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

$54.1 ฿1,827

-45.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$1.16 ฿39.08

84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.53 ฿17.82

-11.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ¥58.2

$2.42 ฿81.8

261.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.45 ฿48.93

-7.59%

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

$19.3K ¥128.1K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-8.58%

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

$18.3K ¥121.7K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-32.15%

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

$58.9 ¥392

$62.2 ฿2,100

-5.26%

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

$7.90 ¥52.5

$12.17 ฿411

-35.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.60 ¥70.5

$20.12 ฿680

-47.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 ¥431

$37.31 ฿1,260

73.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

$3.77 ฿127

363.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 ¥60.3

$6.49 ฿219

39.60%

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

$1,587 ¥10.6K

$736 ฿24.9K

115.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥187.9K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

91.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ¥363

$53.4 ฿1,802

2.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 ¥248

$24.64 ฿832

51.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥496

$91.5 ฿3,089

-18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥707

$71.9 ฿2,429

47.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ¥6,826

$482 ฿16.3K

112.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ¥3,722

$309 ฿10.4K

81.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 ¥17.4K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

160.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 ¥7,926

$633 ฿21.4K

88.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K ¥89.0K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

465.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 ¥43.4K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

310.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

$590 ฿19.9K

190.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.57

-39.68%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$559 45.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 44.8% $250

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 0.9% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$123 10%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 11.4% $14

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 27.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 39.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$77 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 22.1% $17

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 68.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Shanghai 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 Shanghai are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

03:41 3:41 AM

1 h behind Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

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 = 2.66 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Chiang Mai 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
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

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

Shanghai costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Shanghai 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 $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Shanghai and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,222 in Shanghai and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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