Chiang Mai vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$659
$1190
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1768
$3757
🏠 One person rent
$288
$635
🏘️ Family rent
$548
$1613
🍽️ Food expenses
$216
$308
🚐 Transport expenses
$83.1
$117
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$529
$1455
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
52
100
😀 Quality of life
66
78
🏙️ Population
1.2M
24.9M

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 45% less expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 7120th and 4461st ($659 vs $1190) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 12th and 6th in Thailand and China, respectively. Check Thailand vs China comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.8 months in Chiang Mai compared to 1.2 months in Shanghai. Chiang Mai ranked 2nd best city to live in Thailand vs Shanghai ranked 4th in China, while ranked 4343rd and 558th 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
$1.74
$4.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$16.6
$40.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.5
$5.69
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.24
$1.7
 Cappuccino
$1.51
$3.83
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.54
$0.55
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$353
$901
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$207
$497
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$718
$2595
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$419
$1269
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$33.1
$39.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$50.4
$60.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$18.7
$17.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.38%
4.77%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1937
$17366
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1109
$9346
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.83
$0.56
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.1
$37.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.1
$6
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.16
$1.19
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.59
$2.55
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.31
$2.02
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.1
$1.47
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.87
$2.21
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.6
$18.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$4.12
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.5
$12.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.55
$2.27
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.49
$1.97
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.65
$1.52
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$0.96
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$1.04
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.32
$0.39
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.24
$1.25
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.9
$14.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.75
$0.9
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.93
$3.45
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.21
$6.43
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.88
$7.06
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.16
$1.68
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.9
$2
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$35.6
$69.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.71
$8.16
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$18
$89.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.36
$12
👖 Brand Jeans
$50.3
$66.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$82.6
$78.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$437
$1283
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$10951
$28143

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
$577
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$462
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$605
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$496
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$566
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$668
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$710
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$706
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1212
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$615
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1195
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$815
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1233
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$588
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$500
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$715
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$532
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$614
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$709
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$518
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$669
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$617
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$594
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$481
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$677
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$704
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$615
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$902
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$714
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$716
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1184
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$543
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$656
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$647
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$648
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$665
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$653
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$614
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$618
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$575

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1074
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$731
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$771
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$763
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1020
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$596
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$682
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$731
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$651
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$678
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$687
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$699
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$688
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$690
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$677
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$675
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$755
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$707
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$713
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$682
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$831
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$679
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$694
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$625
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$707
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$625
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$651
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$703
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$524
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$631
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$645
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$720
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$725
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$696
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$617
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$719
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$789
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$652
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$740