Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xiangtan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiangtan: $709 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Xiangtan
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Xiangtan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Xiangtan

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Xiangtan vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Xiangtan $709
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,129 per month in Xiangtan vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Xiangtan $1,129
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,550 per month in Xiangtan vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Xiangtan $1,550
Chiang Mai $1,914

Xiangtan is about 24% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Xiangtan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Xiangtan 48% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.55

$2.26 ฿75.4

22.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.94 ¥147

$19.18 ฿641

14.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ¥31.83

$5.59 ฿187

-14.85%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥19.80

$1.72 ฿57.6

72.09%

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

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.64 ฿21.54

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.33 ฿11.18

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$2.36 ฿78.7

-62.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$3.90 ฿130

-45.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥11.90

$2.05 ฿68.6

-13.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$1.40 ฿46.70

11.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.44

$1.28 ฿42.89

-25.00%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.31

$2.25 ฿75.3

-31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ¥84.5

$16.94 ฿566

-25.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.13 ¥20.95

$2.74 ฿91.6

14.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 ¥67.8

$9.36 ฿313

8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.62

$2.40 ฿80.3

-21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.43

$1.01 ฿33.92

24.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.02

$1.61 ฿53.9

-6.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.52 ฿50.7

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.61

$1.28 ฿42.90

-46.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.41

$1.11 ฿37.22

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.04

$0.72 ฿24.09

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.52 ฿17.54

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ¥21.05

$4.33 ฿145

-27.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 ¥69.7

$17.73 ฿593

-41.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.24

$1.63 ฿54.4

-52.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.51

$2.85 ฿95.3

-44.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.85 ฿28.31

-65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.86 ¥113

$53.9 ฿1,801

-68.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.16

$1.17 ฿39.18

17.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.57 ฿19.00

-38.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 ¥43.59

$2.37 ฿79.2

175.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.59

$1.45 ฿48.32

-21.38%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-5.97%

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

$17.5K ¥117.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-33.83%

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

$44.53 ¥298

$62.3 ฿2,083

-28.56%

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

$9.84 ¥65.8

$12.27 ฿410

-19.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.57 ¥77.4

$19.97 ฿668

-42.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.02 ¥281

$37.91 ฿1,267

10.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 ¥92.8

$3.76 ฿126

269.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥40.76

$6.71 ฿224

-9.09%

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

$330 ¥2,207

$797 ฿26.6K

-58.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ¥114.2K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

15.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.30 ¥296

$53.3 ฿1,780

-16.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.52 ¥204

$25.05 ฿837

21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 ¥481

$91.6 ฿3,062

-21.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ¥477

$73.5 ฿2,455

-2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 ¥1,898

$464 ฿15.5K

-38.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,264

$305 ฿10.2K

-37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 ¥4,035

$915 ฿30.6K

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,428

$552 ฿18.5K

-34.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,032 ¥20.3K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

58.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 ¥13.4K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

39.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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 Xiangtan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xiangtan

$196 27.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 21.1% $42

Accommodation & Living

Xiangtan

$189 26.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 61.1% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Xiangtan

$98 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 11.6% $11

Eating Out

Xiangtan

$83 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 5.4% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xiangtan

$66 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 43.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Xiangtan

$54 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 5.3% $2.9

Getting Around

Xiangtan

$21 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 190% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Xiangtan 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Xiangtan versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Xiangtan vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Xiangtan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xiangtan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

1 h behind Xiangtan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,748,552

127,240

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Xiangtan Chiang Mai 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Xiangtan
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Xiangtan, 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 $1,063 per month in Xiangtan 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 Xiangtan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $330 per month in Xiangtan and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Xiangtan, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Xiangtan 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. Xiangtan costs $709 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 Xiangtan. 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.