Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thailand and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $990 in Thailand, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Thailand
Learn more

Thailand Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇹🇭 Thailand

$990

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thailand and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thailand and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Thailand versus $791 in China.

Thailand $990
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Thailand versus $1,251 in China.

Thailand $1,614
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,238 in Thailand versus $1,711 in China.

Thailand $2,238
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Thailand: monthly costs span $608 to $2,241, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Thailand.

Living in Thailand is roughly 25% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Thailand 27% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ฿101

$2.98 ¥19.84

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ฿891

$22.09 ¥147

19.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 ฿226

$5.20 ¥34.66

28.65%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿68.1

$2.97 ¥19.77

-31.99%

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

$0.66 ฿22.20

$0.48 ¥3.19

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.12

$0.30 ¥2.01

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 ฿76.5

$1.08 ¥7.19

109.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.28 ¥15.18

60.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿60.4

$1.80 ¥11.98

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ฿45.15

$1.68 ¥11.17

-20.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ฿41.38

$0.92 ¥6.14

33.70%

Eggs

$2.03 ฿68.5

$1.61 ¥10.75

26.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 ฿560

$13.38 ¥89.2

23.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 ฿101

$3.35 ¥22.31

-11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿366

$11.35 ¥75.7

-4.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ฿100

$1.82 ¥12.14

62.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.44

$1.31 ¥8.71

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.5

$1.49 ¥9.91

36.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.8

$1.27 ¥8.49

34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.60

$0.71 ¥4.74

107.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.41

$0.93 ¥6.22

41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ฿38.48

$0.62 ¥4.12

83.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.33

$0.56 ¥3.75

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿144

$3.78 ¥25.19

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿574

$12.13 ¥80.9

40.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿56.1

$0.83 ¥5.55

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿92.7

$1.68 ¥11.23

63.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.87

$0.29 ¥1.92

213.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.94 ฿1,180

$17.83 ¥119

95.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.29

$1.49 ¥9.91

-22.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.37 ¥2.50

213.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 ฿195

$7.10 ¥47.31

-18.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿45.32

$1.26 ¥8.39

6.35%

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

$30.7K ฿1.0M

$19.4K ¥129.6K

57.66%

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

$26.6K ฿897.6K

$17.5K ¥116.9K

51.57%

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

$81.7 ฿2,760

$54.6 ¥364

49.80%

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

$12.47 ฿421

$8.73 ¥58.2

42.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.20 ฿615

$11.07 ¥73.8

64.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 ฿1,694

$40.77 ¥272

23.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.64 ฿393

$14.48 ¥96.5

-19.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ฿216

$6.78 ¥45.19

-5.46%

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

$558 ฿18.8K

$517 ¥3,443

8.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ฿415.7K

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-37.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ฿1,766

$46.53 ¥310

12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.83 ฿1,075

$35.66 ¥238

-10.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ฿2,980

$77.0 ¥513

14.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 ฿2,651

$80.3 ¥535

-2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ฿16.7K

$386 ¥2,572

28.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ฿10.8K

$235 ¥1,563

36.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ฿45.8K

$822 ¥5,478

64.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 ฿26.0K

$453 ¥3,020

70.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,611 ฿122.0K

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-23.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 ฿70.0K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-12.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 ฿19.0K

$1,093 ¥7,286

-48.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

3.46

63.87%

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

Last update for Thailand: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thailand

$320 32.3%

China

$235 29.6% 26.6% $85

Groceries & Markets

Thailand

$246 24.8%

China

$210 26.5% 14.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Thailand

$113 11.4%

China

$108 13.6% 4.6% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thailand

$112 11.4%

China

$74 9.4% 33.8% $38

Eating Out

Thailand

$91 9.2%

China

$88 11.1% 2.9% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Thailand

$63 6.4%

China

$54 6.9% 13.7% $8.6

Getting Around

Thailand

$46 4.6%

China

$22 2.8% 50.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $463 in Thailand, $298 in China. Capital cities: $713 in Bangkok vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $612 in Thailand, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 55% higher in Thailand.

Dining out costs 23% more in Thailand.

Public transport is 139% more expensive in Thailand.

Salaries are 43% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Thailand

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

22:26 10:26 PM

1 h ahead of Thailand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,188,503

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Thailand China 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Thailand
China

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

Thailand vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $990 in Thailand, there’s a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $463 in Thailand and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; Thailand may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.