Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaozhuang and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaozhuang: $667 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Zaozhuang
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Zaozhuang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zaozhuang

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $667 per month in Zaozhuang vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zaozhuang $667
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,022 per month in Zaozhuang vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zaozhuang $1,022
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,378 per month in Zaozhuang vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zaozhuang $1,378
Chiang Mai $1,979

Zaozhuang is about 29% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zaozhuang and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zaozhuang 51% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 ¥12.13

$2.24 ฿75.6

-18.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.81 ¥78.5

$19.00 ฿641

-37.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.26 ¥15.02

$5.55 ฿187

-59.28%

Cappuccino

$1.47 ¥9.79

$1.67 ฿56.5

-11.98%

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

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.64 ฿21.54

-39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ¥0.97

$0.31 ฿10.31

-51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ¥6.06

$2.36 ฿79.5

-61.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥11.79

$3.66 ฿124

-51.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥9.61

$1.95 ฿65.7

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥9.43

$1.44 ฿48.46

-1.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.14

$1.33 ฿45.03

-7.52%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.06

$2.28 ฿77.1

-53.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 ¥78.0

$16.45 ฿555

-28.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ¥21.87

$2.78 ฿93.9

18.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ¥74.1

$9.31 ฿314

19.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.75

$2.35 ฿79.4

-37.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.82

$0.97 ฿32.79

6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.06

$1.60 ฿53.9

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.23

$1.50 ฿50.6

-27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.28 ฿43.11

-53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.64

$1.10 ฿37.18

-36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.80

$0.71 ฿23.82

-19.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.09

$0.49 ฿16.36

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ¥24.23

$4.14 ฿140

-11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 ¥65.4

$17.52 ฿591

-43.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.71

$1.61 ฿54.5

-55.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.03

$2.78 ฿93.9

-51.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ¥1.83

$0.87 ฿29.30

-67.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.73 ¥105

$54.1 ฿1,825

-70.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ¥10.70

$1.16 ฿39.04

38.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ¥1.65

$0.53 ฿17.80

-52.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 ¥29.77

$2.42 ฿81.7

85.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.66

$1.45 ฿48.88

-10.34%

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

$19.7K ¥130.8K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-6.54%

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

$15.3K ¥101.5K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-43.30%

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

$74.1 ¥492

$62.2 ฿2,098

19.17%

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

$6.84 ¥45.45

$12.17 ฿411

-43.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.08 ¥33.78

$20.12 ฿679

-74.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.72 ¥291

$37.31 ฿1,259

17.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 ¥104

$3.77 ฿127

315.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ¥35.42

$6.49 ฿219

-17.87%

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

$215 ¥1,428

$736 ฿24.8K

-70.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥130.7K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

33.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.72 ¥224

$53.4 ฿1,801

-36.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.01 ¥279

$24.64 ฿831

70.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ¥481

$91.5 ฿3,087

-20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ¥473

$71.9 ฿2,427

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 ¥2,132

$482 ฿16.3K

-33.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ¥1,145

$309 ฿10.4K

-44.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 ¥4,186

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-37.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,110

$633 ฿21.4K

-49.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 ¥19.0K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

21.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,665 ¥11.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

4.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.57

-43.81%

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

Last update for Zaozhuang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zaozhuang

$186 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 25.9% $48

Accommodation & Living

Zaozhuang

$172 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 79.3% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Zaozhuang

$99 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 10% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zaozhuang

$86 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 9.8% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Zaozhuang

$54 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 7.5% $4.1

Eating Out

Zaozhuang

$49 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 57.4% $28

Getting Around

Zaozhuang

$20 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 212% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $321 in Zaozhuang 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Zaozhuang versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $234 – making Zaozhuang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zaozhuang

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:44 4:44 PM

15:44 3:44 PM

1 h behind Zaozhuang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,125,000

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 = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zaozhuang Chiang Mai 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zaozhuang
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Zaozhuang, 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 $1,000 per month in Zaozhuang 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 Zaozhuang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $321 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $215 per month in Zaozhuang and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaozhuang, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Zaozhuang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Zaozhuang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 29% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.