Chiang Mai vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$780
$1126
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2112
$3097
🏠 One person rent
$353
$600
🏘️ Family rent
$618
$1068
🍽️ Food expenses
$263
$293
🚐 Transport expenses
$81.5
$108
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$577
$879
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
56
99
😀 Quality of life
65
75
🏙️ Population
1.2M
24.9M

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 31% less expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 6841st and 4971st ($780 vs $1126) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 20th and 5th in Thailand and China, respectively. Check Thailand vs China comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.7 months in Chiang Mai compared to 0.8 months in Shanghai. Chiang Mai ranked 2nd best city to live in Thailand vs Shanghai ranked 4th in China, while ranked 5309th and 1655th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Chiang Mai vs Shanghai

Prices for goods and services in Chiang Mai and Shanghai are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chiang Mai Shanghai
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$2.24
$5.01
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$20.8
$36.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.07
$5.51
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.26
$1.69
☕ Cappuccino
$1.99
$3.77
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.81
$0.54
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$444
$803
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$253
$486
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$808
$1462
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$465
$880
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$42.2
$37.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$65.2
$58.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$19.7
$13
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.79%
3.34%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2110
$14215
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1564
$7113
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.98
$0.47
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$21.8
$30.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$10.1
$6.45
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.3
$1.15
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.98
$1.94
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.78
$1.8
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.27
$1.3
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.28
$1.79
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.8
$16.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.38
$3.91
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.4
$11.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.62
$2.35
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.09
$1.74
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.72
$1.78
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$1.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.48
$0.89
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.04
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.36
$0.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.36
$1.27
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$19.2
$12.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.84
$0.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.69
$3.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.29
$6.19
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.52
$6.91
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.31
$2.07
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.55
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$40.1
$61.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.8
$7.84
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$19.8
$94.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.42
$12
👖 Brand Jeans
$60
$50.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$103
$78.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$743
$1114
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16138
$27781

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chiang Mai

Distance City Cost of living
86 km or 53 mi Pai
$709
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$626
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$593
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$585
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$571
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$546
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$592
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$614
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1269
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$730
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1082
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$629
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1056
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$590
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$581
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$550
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$621
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$610
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$695
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$610
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$528
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$710
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$656
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$658
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$788
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$789
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$613
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$1027
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$829
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$833
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1038
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$563
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$571
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$823
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$838
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$874
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$846
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$784
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$615
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$590

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1002
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$669
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$696
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$701
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$782
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$594
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$620
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$644
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$557
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$667
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$683
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$643
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$650
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$584
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$671
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$636
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$680
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$684
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$623
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$646
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$860
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$636
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$647
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$652
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$611
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$652
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$604
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$675
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$678
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$525
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$618
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$626
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$644
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$667
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$677
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$601
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$661
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$665
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$632
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$765