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: $1,180 in Aomori versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Aomori versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,581 in Aomori versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Aomori is roughly 25% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aomori 14% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 ¥1,064

$2.08 ฿68.6

228.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.48 ¥4,277

$19.64 ฿646

39.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 ¥887

$5.65 ฿186

0.88%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥485

$1.81 ฿59.4

72.38%

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

$1.19 ¥186

$0.71 ฿23.45

67.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥114

$0.32 ฿10.38

128.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ¥424

$2.24 ฿73.6

21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ¥434

$3.63 ฿119

-23.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥246

$1.96 ฿64.4

-19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥254

$1.50 ฿49.39

8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 ¥574

$1.34 ฿43.93

175.37%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥318

$2.26 ฿74.5

-9.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 ¥1,762

$16.26 ฿535

-30.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.61 ¥873

$2.95 ฿97.1

90.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 ¥2,983

$9.94 ฿327

92.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 ¥843

$2.57 ฿84.6

110.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 ¥389

$1.06 ฿34.73

135.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 ¥558

$1.61 ฿53.0

122.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 ¥700

$1.52 ฿49.97

196.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 ¥340

$1.27 ฿41.77

71.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 ¥379

$1.07 ฿35.06

128.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ¥186

$0.72 ฿23.68

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥121

$0.51 ฿16.72

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 ¥685

$4.19 ฿138

5.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 ¥1,016

$17.87 ฿587

-63.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥280

$1.69 ฿55.7

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥357

$2.84 ฿93.3

-19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ¥205

$0.93 ฿30.43

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 ¥9,499

$53.9 ฿1,771

13.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥483

$1.23 ฿40.59

152.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 ¥479

$0.58 ฿18.96

431.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 ¥3,124

$2.42 ฿79.7

729.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥164

$1.41 ฿46.43

-25.53%

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

$23.8K ¥3.7M

$21.4K ฿705.1K

10.88%

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

$16.8K ¥2.6M

$27.3K ฿898.7K

-38.48%

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

$140 ¥21.8K

$63.7 ฿2,093

120.46%

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

$21.82 ¥3,397

$12.85 ฿423

69.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 ¥4,420

$20.22 ฿665

40.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 ¥7,730

$38.74 ฿1,274

28.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 ¥1,813

$6.74 ฿222

72.85%

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

$504 ¥78.5K

$778 ฿25.6K

-35.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ¥1.8M

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-20.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ¥8,771

$54.3 ฿1,785

3.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.96 ¥4,351

$25.45 ฿837

9.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 ¥9,201

$94.3 ฿3,102

-37.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ¥13.5K

$73.4 ฿2,415

18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ¥74.6K

$490 ฿16.1K

-2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥55.8K

$289 ฿9,512

23.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ¥146.5K

$894 ฿29.4K

5.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥120.3K

$517 ฿17.0K

49.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,923 ¥766.2K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

151.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,661 ¥258.4K

$1,477 ฿48.6K

12.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.06

5.57

-63.02%

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

Last update for Aomori: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Aomori and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Aomori vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $240 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,180 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,770 in Aomori and $1,421 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: $479 in Aomori versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $504 in Aomori versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Aomori. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,180 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 25% less than in Aomori. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.