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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,243 in Amagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $1,961 in Amagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $2,680 in Amagasaki.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 31% less than in Amagasaki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿63.6

$7.01 ¥1,119

-72.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿611

$34.19 ¥5,454

-44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿258

$5.29 ¥844

49.72%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.2

$3.13 ¥500

-38.98%

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

$0.84 ฿27.25

$1.05 ¥168

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.44

$0.81 ¥130

-56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿71.7

$2.62 ¥417

-15.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$3.17 ¥506

19.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.2

$1.54 ¥246

6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿52.8

$1.55 ¥247

4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.40

$4.84 ¥772

-75.62%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.4

$2.21 ¥352

-9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿517

$10.15 ¥1,620

56.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.0

$6.22 ¥992

-51.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿350

$15.38 ¥2,453

-29.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.0

$5.43 ¥867

-51.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.65

$2.63 ¥420

-53.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.4

$4.08 ¥651

-58.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.2

$5.95 ¥950

-73.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿42.89

$3.17 ¥506

-58.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.01

$2.61 ¥416

-55.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.85

$1.38 ¥220

-51.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.21

$0.90 ¥144

-37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿147

$4.28 ¥683

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿592

$8.06 ¥1,285

125.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.6

$1.83 ¥291

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.27 ¥362

42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿28.83

$1.65 ¥263

-46.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

$56.2 ¥8,959

-65.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿43.95

$3.49 ¥556

-61.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿43.79

$2.98 ¥475

-54.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿268

$21.00 ¥3,350

-60.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.40

$1.23 ¥196

3.25%

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

$21.2K ฿687.8K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-10.45%

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

$22.5K ฿731.0K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

30.46%

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

$70.2 ฿2,281

$141 ¥22.6K

-50.40%

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

$13.77 ฿448

$27.60 ¥4,404

-50.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿572

$34.23 ¥5,460

-48.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,352

$56.1 ¥8,949

-25.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

$14.00 ¥2,233

-52.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿188

$12.61 ¥2,011

-54.16%

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

$306 ฿9,953

$279 ¥44.5K

9.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿482.0K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

9.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,768

$43.57 ¥6,952

24.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿850

$29.71 ¥4,740

-12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,748

$60.1 ¥9,595

40.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,257

$91.2 ¥14.6K

-23.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.8K

$463 ¥73.9K

-8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,743

$330 ¥52.6K

-27.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿26.8K

$856 ¥136.6K

-3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.7K

$663 ¥105.8K

-22.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿66.6K

$4,646 ¥741.2K

-55.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

$2,944 ¥469.6K

-78.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

180.90%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Amagasaki: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $463 in Amagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amagasaki pays 363% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $34.00 in Amagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $317 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

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

Chiang Mai and Amagasaki differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $1,243 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Amagasaki earns 363% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $463 in Amagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Amagasaki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $34.00 in Amagasaki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,243 in Amagasaki, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Amagasaki. 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, Chiang Mai and Amagasaki 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 46% less than in Amagasaki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.