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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,136 in Aichi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,793 in Aichi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,450 in Aichi, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Aichi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Aichi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Aichi 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$7.09 ¥1,135

-72.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$33.22 ¥5,314

-43.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$5.50 ¥879

42.18%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$3.13 ¥501

-37.70%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$1.01 ¥162

-15.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.75 ¥121

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$2.05 ¥327

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.17 ¥507

17.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.50 ¥240

14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$1.75 ¥279

-6.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$3.68 ¥588

-69.02%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$2.22 ¥355

-13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$10.02 ¥1,603

61.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.44 ¥1,030

-51.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$15.36 ¥2,457

-29.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.84 ¥455

-3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$2.05 ¥328

-40.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$2.13 ¥340

-23.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$2.71 ¥433

-41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$2.11 ¥337

-33.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$1.71 ¥274

-31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$1.32 ¥211

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.84 ¥134

-36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$4.28 ¥684

9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$9.14 ¥1,462

104.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.75 ¥281

2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.05 ¥328

57.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$1.44 ¥230

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$54.5 ¥8,718

-64.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$3.35 ¥536

-57.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$2.95 ¥473

-56.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$22.51 ¥3,601

-65.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.18 ¥188

7.63%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$23.4K ¥3.7M

-9.11%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$18.8K ¥3.0M

17.87%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$106 ¥16.9K

-34.80%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$20.89 ¥3,342

-32.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$33.64 ¥5,380

-46.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$34.55 ¥5,527

18.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$6.98 ¥1,117

-0.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$13.90 ¥2,223

-57.41%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$286 ¥45.8K

4.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$14.1K ¥2.3M

6.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$42.20 ¥6,750

29.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$29.00 ¥4,638

-7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$59.8 ¥9,564

42.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$103 ¥16.5K

-31.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$433 ¥69.3K

-1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$321 ¥51.4K

-26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$1,039 ¥166.3K

-22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$701 ¥112.1K

-26.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$1,806 ¥288.9K

9.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$935 ¥149.6K

57.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$1,557 ¥249.1K

-60.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.05

143.90%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aichi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $433 in Aichi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 152% higher in Aichi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $33.00 in Aichi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $269 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Aichi costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,704 in Aichi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $866 in Chiang Mai and $1,136 in Aichi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 184% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Aichi at $1,136. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aichi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $1,136 in Aichi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aichi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.