Cost of Living Comparison Between Thailand and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Thailand and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $923 in Thailand versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Thailand versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in Thailand versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Thailand is roughly 30% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Thailand 31% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Thailand: monthly costs span $629 to $2,135, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Thailand.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 ฿104

$2.77 ¥18.72

12.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 ฿945

$24.05 ¥162

17.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 ฿234

$4.73 ¥31.93

47.57%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ฿69.0

$3.08 ¥20.78

-33.12%

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

$0.68 ฿22.67

$0.44 ¥3.00

54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.68

$0.29 ¥1.98

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ฿70.3

$1.01 ¥6.80

107.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ฿120

$2.08 ¥14.03

73.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿63.1

$1.83 ¥12.39

3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿47.55

$1.62 ¥10.94

-12.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.55

$0.97 ¥6.58

37.11%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.61 ¥10.90

34.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿567

$13.34 ¥90.1

26.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ฿102

$3.37 ¥22.75

-9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 ฿359

$10.68 ¥72.2

0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ฿102

$1.81 ¥12.26

67.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.25 ¥8.44

11.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ฿68.1

$1.46 ¥9.88

39.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$1.15 ¥7.73

41.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.73 ¥4.92

115.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.00

$0.89 ¥5.99

44.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ฿39.54

$0.60 ¥4.05

96.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.41

$0.53 ¥3.59

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 ฿153

$3.39 ¥22.93

34.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.18 ฿575

$11.73 ¥79.3

46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿61.5

$0.77 ¥5.23

138.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ฿103

$1.63 ¥10.98

88.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 ฿24.47

$0.41 ¥2.77

78.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.32 ฿1,114

$21.24 ¥143

56.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.37

$1.35 ¥9.13

-10.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿40.24

$0.36 ¥2.40

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 ฿209

$6.70 ¥45.26

-6.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿43.88

$1.18 ¥7.98

11.02%

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

$29.7K ฿994.4K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

50.47%

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

$28.4K ฿951.1K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

71.98%

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

$79.9 ฿2,673

$51.7 ¥349

54.45%

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

$13.58 ฿454

$10.09 ¥68.2

34.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.35 ฿614

$11.38 ¥76.9

61.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ฿1,693

$39.24 ¥265

28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.40 ฿348

$14.84 ¥100

-29.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 ฿248

$6.30 ¥42.56

17.78%

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

$411 ฿13.8K

$414 ¥2,795

-0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ฿428.1K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-26.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.74 ฿1,597

$46.77 ¥316

2.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.05 ฿1,139

$33.08 ¥223

2.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 ฿3,226

$70.9 ¥479

35.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,500

$74.5 ¥503

0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ฿16.6K

$440 ¥2,972

12.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 ฿8,794

$253 ¥1,707

4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 ฿40.8K

$911 ¥6,153

33.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ฿22.1K

$531 ¥3,584

24.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,428 ฿114.7K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-28.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,956 ฿65.4K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-18.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$559 ฿18.7K

$1,058 ¥7,144

-47.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

4.06

39.90%

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

Last update for Thailand: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $452 in Thailand, $287 in China. Capital cities: $662 in Bangkok vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $620 in Thailand, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in Thailand.

Dining out costs 33% more in Thailand.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 38% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $873 per month in China and $1,382 in Thailand, there's a 58% 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 simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Thailand is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Thailand it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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.