Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhangjiakou and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangjiakou: $776 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Zhangjiakou
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Zhangjiakou Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zhangjiakou

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Zhangjiakou vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhangjiakou $776
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,223 per month in Zhangjiakou vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhangjiakou $1,223
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,670 per month in Zhangjiakou vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhangjiakou $1,670
Chiang Mai $1,903

Zhangjiakou is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Zhangjiakou and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zhangjiakou 43% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.72

$2.29 ฿77.3

-3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.26 ¥161

$19.64 ฿664

23.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 ¥39.37

$5.61 ฿190

5.35%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ¥23.30

$1.66 ฿56.2

110.84%

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

$0.50 ¥3.35

$0.70 ฿23.65

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.72

$0.31 ฿10.35

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$2.41 ฿81.3

-61.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.27

$3.71 ฿126

-54.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ¥9.86

$1.95 ฿66.0

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ¥14.73

$1.41 ฿47.55

56.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.31 ฿44.10

-19.08%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.03

$2.18 ฿73.7

-51.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.23 ¥101

$16.65 ฿563

-8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 ¥19.80

$2.76 ฿93.2

7.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ¥63.8

$9.11 ฿308

5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.02

$2.39 ฿80.9

-30.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.16

$1.03 ฿34.64

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ¥11.70

$1.63 ฿55.0

7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.10

$1.50 ฿50.6

-18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.37

$1.29 ฿43.61

-37.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ¥3.80

$1.11 ฿37.44

-48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$0.72 ฿24.35

-13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$0.53 ฿17.79

39.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 ¥24.17

$4.31 ฿146

-15.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 ¥90.5

$17.95 ฿606

-24.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ¥7.10

$1.58 ฿53.5

-32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ¥16.16

$2.84 ฿96.1

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$0.86 ฿29.18

-66.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 ¥117

$53.3 ฿1,800

-66.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$1.21 ฿40.73

-10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.17

$0.57 ฿19.20

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 ¥41.37

$2.35 ฿79.5

164.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.83

$1.44 ฿48.49

-18.06%

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

$19.6K ¥130.6K

$20.7K ฿700.5K

-5.35%

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

$17.0K ¥113.3K

$26.8K ฿905.6K

-36.48%

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

$95.7 ¥637

$62.3 ฿2,106

53.52%

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

$6.22 ¥41.40

$12.11 ฿409

-48.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.68 ¥51.1

$19.94 ฿674

-61.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 ¥280

$37.07 ฿1,252

13.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.20 ¥101

$3.78 ฿128

302.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 ¥48.57

$6.50 ฿220

12.31%

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

$342 ¥2,275

$793 ฿26.8K

-56.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,321 ¥35.4K

$14.8K ฿500.3K

-64.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 ¥298

$53.7 ฿1,816

-16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.35 ¥189

$24.62 ฿832

15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 ¥643

$90.9 ฿3,070

6.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 ¥399

$71.1 ฿2,404

-15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,954

$455 ฿15.4K

-35.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,214

$298 ฿10.1K

-38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ¥4,142

$908 ฿30.7K

-31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,523

$554 ฿18.7K

-31.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,446 ¥22.9K

$1,931 ฿65.2K

78.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,966 ¥13.1K

$1,445 ฿48.8K

36.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$382 ¥2,544

$591 ฿20.0K

-35.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

5.57

-36.45%

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

Last update for Zhangjiakou: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhangjiakou

$214 27.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 10% $21

Accommodation & Living

Zhangjiakou

$182 23.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 63.4% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhangjiakou

$110 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 13.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Zhangjiakou

$103 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 4.7% $4.8

Eating Out

Zhangjiakou

$88 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 11.2% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Zhangjiakou

$57 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 11.6% $6.5

Getting Around

Zhangjiakou

$21 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 183% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Zhangjiakou versus $455 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 55% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Zhangjiakou versus $20 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $214 in Zhangjiakou vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Zhangjiakou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhangjiakou

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

03:12 3:12 AM

1 h behind Zhangjiakou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,345,491

127,240

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.79 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.83 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zhangjiakou Chiang Mai 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhangjiakou
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Zhangjiakou, 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 $1,164 per month in Zhangjiakou and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhangjiakou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $455 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $342 per month in Zhangjiakou and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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.

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

If budget matters most, go with Zhangjiakou. 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.