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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,260 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,930 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,600 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 31% cheaper than Asahikawa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Asahikawa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Asahikawa 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.8

$7.03 ¥1,128

-72.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿611

$34.30 ¥5,498

-45.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$5.26 ¥843

48.67%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿64.1

$3.05 ¥489

-36.07%

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

$0.85 ฿27.88

$1.10 ¥176

-22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.63

$0.75 ¥120

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.67 ¥428

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.21 ¥515

16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.2

$1.57 ¥252

8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.4

$1.60 ¥256

1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.30

$4.76 ¥763

-76.05%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.4

$2.19 ¥351

-11.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿532

$10.01 ¥1,605

61.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.46 ¥1,036

-51.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿357

$15.45 ¥2,476

-29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.3

$5.38 ¥862

-48.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.68

$2.52 ¥403

-51.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$3.92 ¥628

-58.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.0

$5.85 ¥938

-72.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.89

$3.00 ¥481

-53.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.32

$2.57 ¥411

-54.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.69

$1.34 ¥214

-50.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.29

$0.85 ¥135

-37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿154

$4.15 ¥665

13.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿612

$8.30 ¥1,330

124.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.0

$1.93 ¥309

-6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.15 ¥344

50.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.37

$1.60 ¥256

-43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿630

$55.4 ¥8,873

-65.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.10

$3.45 ¥552

-59.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.29

$2.88 ¥462

-55.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿257

$20.60 ¥3,301

-61.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.75

$1.24 ¥199

2.42%

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

$21.3K ฿697.7K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

-6.74%

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

$22.2K ฿728.3K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

26.91%

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

$69.1 ฿2,265

$144 ¥23.1K

-52.13%

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

$14.08 ฿462

$26.66 ¥4,274

-47.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿590

$33.80 ¥5,418

-46.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,346

$54.9 ¥8,806

-25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿228

$13.62 ¥2,183

-48.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿194

$12.65 ¥2,028

-53.20%

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

$299 ฿9,805

$278 ¥44.6K

7.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.3K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

10.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,794

$43.37 ¥6,952

26.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿878

$29.90 ¥4,792

-10.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,787

$60.3 ¥9,669

40.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,315

$91.8 ¥14.7K

-23.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$463 ¥74.2K

-7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,782

$335 ¥53.7K

-29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.3K

$870 ¥139.4K

-7.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$670 ¥107.4K

-23.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.7K

$4,829 ¥774.1K

-59.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.4K

$2,679 ¥429.4K

-44.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Asahikawa: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $463 in Asahikawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Asahikawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $315 – 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 Asahikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai, $1,260 in Asahikawa – roughly 45% apart. Asahikawa costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,890 in Asahikawa. 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.

Public transport costs about 188% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Chiang Mai and $278 in Asahikawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Asahikawa at $1,260. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asahikawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $866 in Chiang Mai to $1,260 in Asahikawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Asahikawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.