Chiang Mai vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$727
$1128
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1970
$3104
🏠 One person rent
$315
$605
🏘️ Family rent
$547
$1067
🍽️ Food expenses
$250
$289
🚐 Transport expenses
$85
$110
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$505
$931
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
56
100
😀 Quality of life
65
77
🏙️ Population
1.2M
24.9M

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 36% less expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 6954th and 4879th ($727 vs $1128) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 19th 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 3rd best city to live in Thailand vs Shanghai ranked 4th in China, while ranked 5236th and 1383rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Chiang Mai vs Shanghai infographic

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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
$2.01
$4.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$19.1
$40
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.95
$5.69
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.25
$1.47
☕ Cappuccino
$1.88
$3.79
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.79
$0.51
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$395
$848
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$221
$485
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$703
$1510
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$405
$875
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$40.8
$34.2
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$62.9
$52
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$19.1
$12.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.15%
3.36%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2210
$14877
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1552
$7318
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.92
$0.56
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$19.1
$31.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.8
$6.41
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.27
$1.13
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.74
$2.11
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.56
$1.88
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.34
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.05
$1.88
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.7
$15.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.99
$3.52
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.98
$10.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.92
$2.26
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.15
$1.78
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.72
$1.8
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$1.54
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$0.81
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.2
$1.07
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.34
$0.44
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.4
$1.27
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$18.4
$11.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.77
$0.86
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.33
$3.02
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.24
$6.07
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.42
$6
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.29
$2.02
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.5
$2.12
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$34.8
$59.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.07
$8.24
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$18.9
$92.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.65
$12.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.4
$52.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$92.4
$75.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$643
$1172
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$15195
$27624

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
$667
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$603
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$581
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$558
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$567
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$534
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$571
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$594
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1261
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$680
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1181
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$614
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1152
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$577
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$578
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$540
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$590
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$599
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$666
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$588
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$519
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$675
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$635
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$623
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$736
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$737
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$601
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$958
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$774
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$774
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1139
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$529
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$558
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$770
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$779
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$812
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$787
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$724
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$607
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$560

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1003
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$673
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$696
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$696
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$771
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$597
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$612
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$632
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$547
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$648
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$679
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$631
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$634
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$576
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$713
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$621
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$740
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$674
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$601
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$630
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$826
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$622
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$634
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$639
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$597
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$642
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$597
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$651
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$664
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$531
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$602
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$618
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$637
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$672
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$663
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$590
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$666
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$659
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$617
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$753