Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yantai and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Yantai: $631 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Yantai
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Yantai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Yantai

🇨🇳 China

$631

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $631 per month in Yantai vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yantai $631
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $932 per month in Yantai vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yantai $932
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,233 per month in Yantai vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yantai $1,233
Chiang Mai $1,979

Yantai is about 33% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Yantai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Yantai 54% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 ¥19.76

$2.24 ฿75.7

32.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.80 ¥118

$19.00 ฿642

-6.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ¥30.29

$5.55 ฿188

-18.02%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ¥18.50

$1.67 ฿56.6

66.47%

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

$0.53 ¥3.53

$0.64 ฿21.56

-17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥1.98

$0.31 ฿10.32

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ¥7.39

$2.36 ฿79.6

-52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ¥16.64

$3.66 ฿124

-31.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ¥13.43

$1.95 ฿65.8

3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ¥9.35

$1.44 ฿48.51

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.02

$1.33 ฿45.07

-32.33%

Eggs

$1.30 ¥8.63

$2.28 ฿77.1

-42.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.61 ¥111

$16.45 ฿556

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.27

$2.78 ฿94.0

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 ¥45.38

$9.31 ฿314

-26.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.07

$2.35 ฿79.5

-42.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.65

$0.97 ฿32.82

-12.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.81

$1.60 ฿53.9

-36.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.90

$1.50 ฿50.7

-50.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.78

$1.28 ฿43.15

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

$1.10 ฿37.22

-34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.90

$0.71 ฿23.84

-16.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$0.49 ฿16.38

18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ¥25.59

$4.14 ฿140

-7.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥77.6

$17.52 ฿592

-33.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$1.61 ฿54.5

-54.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.81

$2.78 ฿94.0

-63.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ¥1.39

$0.87 ฿29.33

-75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.13

$1.16 ฿39.08

18.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.53 ฿17.82

-41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 ¥43.91

$2.42 ฿81.8

172.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.28

$1.45 ฿48.93

-14.48%

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

$19.3K ¥128.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-8.29%

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

$17.6K ¥117.0K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-34.76%

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

$44.96 ¥299

$62.2 ฿2,100

-27.68%

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

$6.71 ¥44.62

$12.17 ฿411

-44.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.04 ¥40.22

$20.12 ฿680

-69.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.04 ¥200

$37.31 ฿1,260

-19.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 ¥50.8

$3.77 ฿127

102.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 ¥37.15

$6.49 ฿219

-14.02%

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

$361 ¥2,402

$736 ฿24.9K

-50.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥110.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

12.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.89 ¥119

$53.4 ฿1,802

-66.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.58 ¥150

$24.64 ฿832

-8.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 ¥634

$91.5 ฿3,089

4.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥607

$71.9 ฿2,429

26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 ¥1,513

$482 ฿16.3K

-52.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 ¥995

$309 ฿10.4K

-51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 ¥2,390

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-64.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 ¥1,014

$633 ฿21.4K

-75.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,023 ¥20.1K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

27.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,152 ¥34.3K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

224.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,069

$590 ฿19.9K

80.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

5.57

-39.50%

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

Last update for Yantai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yantai

$192 30.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 22.3% $43

Accommodation & Living

Yantai

$150 23.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 107% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Yantai

$102 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 6.4% $6.5

Eating Out

Yantai

$85 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 8.3% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yantai

$58 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 63.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Yantai

$41 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22% $9.1

Getting Around

Yantai

$3.8 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1528% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Yantai 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 run about 80% higher in Yantai, 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 $18 in Yantai versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $234 – making Yantai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yantai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

1 h behind Yantai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,871,000

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

Yantai Chiang Mai 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Yantai
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 48% more than Yantai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $946 per month in Yantai 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 Yantai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $227 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Yantai and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Yantai, where all-in costs run around $631, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Yantai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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