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: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,239 in Amagasaki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $1,955 in Amagasaki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $2,671 in Amagasaki.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 32% 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

$7.10 ¥1,139

-72.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿598

$35.19 ¥5,645

-47.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿256

$5.23 ¥840

50.48%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.4

$3.05 ¥489

-36.07%

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

$0.85 ฿27.57

$1.06 ¥171

-19.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.52

$0.74 ¥119

-56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿69.6

$2.62 ¥420

-18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿120

$3.04 ¥487

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿53.9

$1.61 ¥257

3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$1.60 ¥257

-2.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.63

$4.82 ¥773

-75.31%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.7

$2.21 ¥354

-9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿528

$10.10 ¥1,621

60.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$6.34 ¥1,017

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿352

$15.56 ¥2,496

-30.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿86.2

$5.46 ¥876

-51.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.67

$2.57 ¥412

-52.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.7

$4.06 ¥651

-59.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$5.78 ¥927

-73.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.17

$3.07 ¥493

-56.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.43

$2.56 ¥410

-52.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.04

$1.37 ¥220

-50.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.38

$0.88 ¥142

-35.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿152

$4.22 ¥676

10.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿552

$9.05 ¥1,452

87.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$1.93 ¥309

-5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$2.19 ¥351

45.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.46

$1.65 ¥264

-44.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

$56.5 ¥9,059

-66.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.80

$3.56 ¥571

-60.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.52

$2.90 ¥466

-53.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿265

$20.68 ¥3,318

-60.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.53

$1.19 ¥191

7.56%

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

$21.8K ฿709.3K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

-4.73%

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

$22.4K ฿728.0K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

30.45%

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

$70.5 ฿2,291

$145 ¥23.2K

-51.34%

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

$14.05 ฿457

$27.32 ¥4,382

-48.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿574

$33.73 ¥5,411

-47.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,342

$55.0 ¥8,822

-24.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

$13.84 ¥2,221

-51.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿194

$12.28 ¥1,970

-51.47%

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

$303 ฿9,846

$279 ¥44.7K

8.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿486.2K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

13.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,778

$43.04 ¥6,904

27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿854

$29.36 ¥4,710

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,788

$61.1 ¥9,794

40.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,265

$92.9 ¥14.9K

-24.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿13.9K

$468 ¥75.1K

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,769

$332 ¥53.3K

-28.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.4K

$857 ¥137.5K

-5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.6K

$657 ¥105.3K

-22.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

$4,760 ¥763.5K

-57.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

$2,603 ¥417.5K

-42.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

$2,905 ¥466.0K

-78.57%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Amagasaki: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $468 in Amagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amagasaki pays 367% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $35.00 in Amagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $319 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 ($848 vs $1,239 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Amagasaki earns 367% 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $468 in Amagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% 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 $18.00 versus $35.00 in Amagasaki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,239 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.