Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $993 in Zhongli City, rent and utilities included – about $660 less a year. The total is higher in Zhongli City despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Zhongli City
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Zhongli City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$993

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $993 per month in Zhongli City vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhongli City $993
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,675 per month in Zhongli City vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhongli City $1,675
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,357 per month in Zhongli City vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhongli City $2,357
Chiang Mai $1,914

Zhongli City costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zhongli City and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zhongli City 26% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$150

$2.26 ฿75.4

104.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.29 NT$1,015

$19.18 ฿641

63.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 NT$155

$5.59 ฿187

-14.67%

Cappuccino

$2.57 NT$83.4

$1.72 ฿57.6

49.42%

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

$1.03 NT$33.52

$0.64 ฿21.54

60.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.35

$0.33 ฿11.18

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 NT$52.2

$2.36 ฿78.7

-31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 NT$89.1

$3.90 ฿130

-29.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 NT$103

$2.05 ฿68.6

55.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$56.3

$1.40 ฿46.70

24.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 NT$87.9

$1.28 ฿42.89

111.72%

Eggs

$2.60 NT$84.3

$2.25 ฿75.3

15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 NT$414

$16.94 ฿566

-24.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 NT$230

$2.74 ฿91.6

158.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 NT$499

$9.36 ฿313

64.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 NT$121

$2.40 ฿80.3

55.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NT$63.8

$1.01 ฿33.92

95.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NT$99.9

$1.61 ฿53.9

91.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 NT$72.1

$1.52 ฿50.7

46.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 NT$39.81

$1.28 ฿42.90

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.5

$1.11 ฿37.22

71.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 NT$79.0

$0.72 ฿24.09

238.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.52

$0.52 ฿17.54

63.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 NT$122

$4.33 ฿145

-12.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 NT$501

$17.73 ฿593

-12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 NT$50.2

$1.63 ฿54.4

-4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$82.8

$2.85 ฿95.3

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.90

$0.85 ฿28.31

-28.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.64 NT$1,221

$53.9 ฿1,801

-30.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$1.17 ฿39.18

129.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 NT$18.72

$0.57 ฿19.00

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$312

$2.37 ฿79.2

305.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.60

$1.45 ฿48.32

-33.10%

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

61.50%

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

$23.3K NT$754.6K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-12.23%

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

$106 NT$3,433

$62.3 ฿2,083

69.85%

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

$14.76 NT$479

$12.27 ฿410

20.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 NT$556

$19.97 ฿668

-14.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 NT$312

$6.71 ฿224

43.37%

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

$344 NT$11.1K

$797 ฿26.6K

-56.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$546.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

13.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 NT$2,338

$53.3 ฿1,780

35.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.46 NT$1,182

$25.05 ฿837

45.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 NT$1,782

$91.6 ฿3,062

-40.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,505

$73.5 ฿2,455

47.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$464 ฿15.5K

-3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$8,125

$305 ฿10.2K

-17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 NT$28.3K

$915 ฿30.6K

-4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 NT$23.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

29.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,288 NT$74.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

284.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.57

-62.30%

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

Last update for Zhongli City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhongli City

$315 31.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 24.6% $77

Accommodation & Living

Zhongli City

$251 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 21.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongli City

$138 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 31.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongli City

$122 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 10.4% $13

Eating Out

Zhongli City

$103 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 23% $24

Getting Around

Zhongli City

$46 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 34.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongli City

$19 * 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 167% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $448 in Zhongli City 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.

Salaries run about 284% higher in Zhongli City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Zhongli City versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Zhongli City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

1 h behind Zhongli City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

396,453

127,240

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zhongli City Chiang Mai 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Zhongli City
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

Zhongli City vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongli City costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,490 per month in Zhongli City 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $344 per month in Zhongli City 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 33% more in Zhongli City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Zhongli City at $993. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zhongli City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $993 in Zhongli City. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zhongli City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.