Cost of Living Comparison Between Aomori and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Aomori and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Aomori versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,949 in Aomori versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,654 in Aomori versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Aomori is roughly 44% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aomori 7% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 ¥1,100

$1.96 ฿65.8

245.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.28 ¥5,569

$18.35 ฿617

86.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 ¥892

$7.48 ฿252

-26.60%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥500

$2.02 ฿67.8

52.48%

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

$1.10 ¥178

$0.85 ฿28.50

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥125

$0.36 ฿11.96

113.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ¥428

$2.14 ฿71.8

22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥517

$3.59 ฿121

-11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥251

$1.65 ฿55.5

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥259

$1.57 ฿52.7

1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 ¥758

$1.19 ฿40.02

292.44%

Eggs

$2.28 ¥370

$1.94 ฿65.1

17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 ¥1,619

$16.19 ฿544

-38.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ¥1,061

$2.99 ฿101

118.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 ¥2,547

$10.94 ฿368

43.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.51 ¥896

$2.71 ฿91.2

103.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 ¥413

$1.17 ฿39.25

117.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 ¥642

$1.69 ฿56.7

133.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.03 ¥980

$1.60 ฿54.0

276.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 ¥489

$1.38 ฿46.54

118.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 ¥424

$1.20 ฿40.45

117.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥218

$0.67 ฿22.50

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥135

$0.56 ฿18.73

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 ¥662

$4.64 ฿156

-12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.71 ¥1,415

$17.62 ฿593

-50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥297

$1.86 ฿62.5

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥370

$3.30 ฿111

-31.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥259

$0.88 ฿29.68

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 ¥8,964

$19.34 ฿650

185.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ¥572

$1.36 ฿45.90

158.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 ¥485

$1.34 ฿44.98

122.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.14 ¥3,435

$8.21 ฿276

157.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥183

$1.22 ฿41.18

-7.38%

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

$22.9K ¥3.7M

$21.4K ฿718.1K

7.44%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$22.5K ฿757.7K

-24.93%

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

$144 ¥23.4K

$70.7 ฿2,376

104.13%

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

$27.20 ¥4,420

$14.04 ฿472

93.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.18 ¥5,553

$17.49 ฿588

95.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ¥9,166

$42.15 ฿1,417

33.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.91 ¥2,261

$6.88 ฿231

102.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 ¥2,006

$5.92 ฿199

108.45%

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

$283 ¥46.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

-8.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-8.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.60 ¥6,921

$55.8 ฿1,875

-23.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.88 ¥4,693

$26.11 ฿878

10.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 ¥9,673

$83.0 ฿2,792

-28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.9K

$70.5 ฿2,369

29.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥76.3K

$432 ฿14.5K

8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥53.9K

$239 ฿8,035

38.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 ¥142.9K

$822 ฿27.7K

7.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ¥106.3K

$512 ฿17.2K

27.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 ¥656.7K

$1,915 ฿64.4K

111.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 ¥301.4K

$1,467 ฿49.3K

26.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

-64.40%

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

Last update for Aomori: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Aomori and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Aomori vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $243 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Aomori and Chiang Mai differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Aomori and $1,292 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $470 in Aomori versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Aomori versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Aomori. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,244 in Aomori, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Aomori. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aomori and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Aomori. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.