Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangzhou and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangzhou and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $613 per month in Yangzhou vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,008 per month in Yangzhou vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,402 per month in Yangzhou vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yangzhou is about 28% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Yangzhou and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Yangzhou 54% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.07 ÂĨ14.16
$1.96 āļŋ63.6
5.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.38 ÂĨ105
$18.81 āļŋ611
-18.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.49 ÂĨ23.91
$7.92 āļŋ258
-55.93%
Cappuccino
$2.85 ÂĨ19.54
$1.91 āļŋ62.2
49.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ÂĨ3.22
$0.84 āļŋ27.25
-44.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ÂĨ1.08
$0.35 āļŋ11.44
-54.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.73 ÂĨ5.01
$2.21 āļŋ71.7
-66.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 ÂĨ11.70
$3.80 āļŋ124
-55.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 ÂĨ7.24
$1.64 āļŋ53.2
-35.37%
White Bread (500g)
$0.82 ÂĨ5.65
$1.62 āļŋ52.8
-49.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.00 ÂĨ6.84
$1.18 āļŋ38.40
-15.25%
Eggs
$1.32 ÂĨ9.03
$2.01 āļŋ65.4
-34.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.64 ÂĨ38.61
$15.89 āļŋ517
-64.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.68 ÂĨ18.33
$3.01 āļŋ98.0
-10.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.57 ÂĨ58.7
$10.77 āļŋ350
-20.43%
Apples (1kg)
$1.08 ÂĨ7.39
$2.61 āļŋ85.0
-58.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 ÂĨ9.74
$1.22 āļŋ39.65
16.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.95 ÂĨ6.48
$1.70 āļŋ55.4
-44.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.08 ÂĨ7.38
$1.58 āļŋ51.2
-31.65%
Potato (1kg)
$0.73 ÂĨ5.00
$1.32 āļŋ42.89
-44.70%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ÂĨ6.36
$1.17 āļŋ38.01
-20.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.68 ÂĨ4.63
$0.67 āļŋ21.85
1.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ÂĨ3.47
$0.56 āļŋ18.21
-8.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.82 ÂĨ19.30
$4.53 āļŋ147
-37.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.67 ÂĨ79.9
$18.20 āļŋ592
-35.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ÂĨ4.69
$1.83 āļŋ59.6
-62.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 ÂĨ9.70
$3.23 āļŋ105
-56.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 ÂĨ2.04
$0.89 āļŋ28.83
-66.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.38 ÂĨ112
$19.38 āļŋ630
-15.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ÂĨ9.26
$1.35 āļŋ43.95
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 ÂĨ2.43
$1.35 āļŋ43.79
-73.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 ÂĨ22.29
$8.25 āļŋ268
-60.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 ÂĨ7.65
$1.27 āļŋ41.40
-11.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ÂĨ133.2K
$21.2K āļŋ687.8K
-8.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.4K ÂĨ119.0K
$22.5K āļŋ731.0K
-22.73%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$45.00 ÂĨ308
$70.2 āļŋ2,281
-35.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.65 ÂĨ52.4
$13.77 āļŋ448
-44.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.44 ÂĨ78.4
$17.60 āļŋ572
-35.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.56 ÂĨ285
$41.57 āļŋ1,352
-0.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.04 ÂĨ96.1
$6.60 āļŋ215
112.73%
Cinema Ticket
$6.18 ÂĨ42.34
$5.78 āļŋ188
6.92%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$447 ÂĨ3,065
$306 āļŋ9,953
46.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,872 ÂĨ47.1K
$14.8K āļŋ482.0K
-53.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.7 ÂĨ395
$54.4 āļŋ1,768
6.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.53 ÂĨ237
$26.14 āļŋ850
32.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.4 ÂĨ469
$84.5 āļŋ2,748
-19.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.0 ÂĨ575
$69.4 āļŋ2,257
20.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$240 ÂĨ1,644
$424 āļŋ13.8K
-43.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$156 ÂĨ1,067
$238 āļŋ7,743
-34.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$563 ÂĨ3,857
$825 āļŋ26.8K
-31.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$356 ÂĨ2,439
$515 āļŋ16.7K
-30.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,496 ÂĨ17.1K
$2,049 āļŋ66.6K
21.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,790 ÂĨ12.3K
$1,523 āļŋ49.5K
17.52%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Yangzhou
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,226 ÂĨ8,400
$635 āļŋ20.6K
93.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.1
5
-38.00%

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

Last update for Yangzhou: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Yangzhou versus $424 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 run about 93% higher in Yangzhou, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Yangzhou versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $243 – making Yangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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
Yangzhou vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Yangzhou or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Yangzhou, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Yangzhou vs Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $920 per month in Yangzhou and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Yangzhou or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Yangzhou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Yangzhou and Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $447 per month in Yangzhou and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Yangzhou or Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 63% 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.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Yangzhou or Chiang Mai?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $613 in Yangzhou and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Yangzhou or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yangzhou costs $613 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Yangzhou compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Yangzhou or Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Yangzhou. 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.

Yangzhou vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities