Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhoushan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $623 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
Learn more

Zhoushan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$623

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $623 per month in Zhoushan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhoushan $623
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,008 per month in Zhoushan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhoushan $1,008
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,394 per month in Zhoushan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zhoushan $1,394
Chiang Mai $1,979

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 ¥22.09

$2.24 ฿75.6

48.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.60 ¥124

$19.00 ฿641

-2.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ¥27.21

$5.55 ฿187

-26.31%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥19.65

$1.67 ฿56.5

77.25%

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

$0.47 ¥3.09

$0.64 ฿21.54

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.31 ฿10.31

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.12

$2.36 ฿79.5

-67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥12.79

$3.66 ฿124

-47.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$1.95 ฿65.7

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 ¥14.55

$1.44 ฿48.46

52.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.33 ฿45.03

-34.59%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.01

$2.28 ฿77.1

-53.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 ¥90.3

$16.45 ฿555

-17.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.13

$2.78 ฿93.9

25.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$9.31 ฿314

18.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.14

$2.35 ฿79.4

-34.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.14

$0.97 ฿32.79

26.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$1.60 ฿53.9

-4.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.09

$1.50 ฿50.6

-18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 ¥3.81

$1.28 ฿43.11

-55.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.85

$1.10 ฿37.18

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.71 ฿23.82

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.49 ฿16.36

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 ¥35.60

$4.14 ฿140

29.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 ¥80.4

$17.52 ฿591

-30.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.07

$1.61 ฿54.5

-43.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥14.35

$2.78 ฿93.9

-22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.87 ฿29.30

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.22 ¥101

$54.1 ฿1,825

-71.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.85

$1.16 ฿39.04

27.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.82

$0.53 ฿17.80

-20.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ¥60.1

$2.42 ฿81.7

273.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.45 ฿48.88

-19.31%

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

$19.8K ¥131.3K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-6.16%

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

$16.0K ¥106.0K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-40.77%

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

$36.52 ¥243

$62.2 ฿2,098

-41.26%

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

$11.44 ¥76.0

$12.17 ฿411

-6.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.66 ¥184

$20.12 ฿679

37.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.05 ¥166

$37.31 ฿1,259

-32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.59 ¥50.4

$3.77 ฿127

101.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 ¥40.94

$6.49 ฿219

-5.08%

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

$447 ¥2,967

$736 ฿24.8K

-39.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ¥109.3K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

11.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.73 ¥231

$53.4 ฿1,801

-34.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.39 ¥142

$24.64 ฿831

-13.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥430

$91.5 ฿3,087

-29.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.75 ¥304

$71.9 ฿2,427

-36.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥2,211

$482 ฿16.3K

-31.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 ¥785

$309 ฿10.4K

-61.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ¥5,061

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 ¥1,800

$633 ฿21.4K

-57.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,030 ¥20.1K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

28.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,988 ¥13.2K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

25.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$588 ¥3,909

$590 ฿19.9K

-0.25%

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 Zhoushan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhoushan

$212 34%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 10.6% $23

Accommodation & Living

Zhoushan

$118 19%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 162% $191

Eating Out

Zhoushan

$85 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 8.7% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhoushan

$76 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 24.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Zhoushan

$75 12%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 44.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Zhoushan

$37 6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 34.5% $13

Getting Around

Zhoushan

$20 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 207% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Zhoushan 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 $19 in Zhoushan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $234 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

02:20 2:20 AM

1 h behind Zhoushan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,157,817

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zhoushan Chiang Mai 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zhoushan
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Zhoushan, 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 $934 per month in Zhoushan 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 Zhoushan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Zhoushan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $623 in Zhoushan and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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