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 $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,210 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,941 in Asahikawa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,673 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Asahikawa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Asahikawa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Asahikawa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.2

$6.68 ¥1,043

-68.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿652

$32.85 ¥5,130

-40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$5.18 ¥809

9.46%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.0

$3.03 ¥474

-40.26%

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

$0.77 ฿25.55

$1.03 ¥161

-25.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.48

$0.75 ¥117

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$2.31 ¥361

-4.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$3.44 ¥537

10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.1

$1.45 ¥226

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.46 ¥228

3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.51

$4.30 ¥672

-67.44%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.1

$1.89 ¥294

19.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿538

$10.82 ¥1,689

49.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.3

$6.84 ¥1,068

-57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿313

$15.80 ¥2,468

-40.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.1

$5.68 ¥887

-52.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.23

$2.27 ¥355

-51.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$2.86 ¥447

-43.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.55

$4.32 ¥674

-66.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.48

$2.90 ¥454

-55.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.17

$2.59 ¥405

-59.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.85

$1.38 ¥215

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.49

$0.74 ¥116

-28.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.41 ¥689

-4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿608

$8.11 ¥1,267

125.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.2

$1.85 ¥289

-11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.5

$2.17 ¥339

33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.20

$1.61 ¥252

-45.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

$61.9 ¥9,672

-13.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿38.99

$2.88 ¥451

-59.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.22

$3.14 ¥491

-81.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.3

$18.83 ¥2,941

-87.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.22

$1.24 ¥194

16.94%

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

$21.0K ฿698.6K

$21.9K ¥3.4M

-4.08%

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

$26.4K ฿878.6K

$13.8K ¥2.1M

92.02%

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

$63.7 ฿2,116

$145 ¥22.6K

-56.10%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$22.25 ¥3,474

-42.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿682

$36.34 ¥5,676

-43.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,297

$47.40 ¥7,402

-17.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$10.54 ¥1,646

-37.57%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$607 ¥94.8K

29.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿487.9K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

10.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,833

$57.8 ¥9,018

-4.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿823

$35.96 ¥5,616

-31.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,130

$61.8 ¥9,647

52.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,459

$86.3 ¥13.5K

-14.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$491 ¥76.6K

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,582

$296 ¥46.2K

-2.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

$971 ¥151.7K

-8.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$710 ¥110.9K

-26.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

$3,277 ¥511.8K

-39.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

$1,817 ¥283.7K

-20.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.09

166.51%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Asahikawa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $491 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $33.00 in Asahikawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $301 – 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: $932 in Chiang Mai, $1,210 in Asahikawa – roughly 30% apart. Asahikawa costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,814 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 15% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $784 per month in Chiang Mai and $607 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 $932, than in Asahikawa at $1,210. 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 $932 in Chiang Mai to $1,210 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.