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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,093 in Beppu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,718 in Beppu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,344 in Beppu, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 13% cheaper than Beppu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Beppu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Beppu 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

$6.40 ¥999

-67.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$23.00 ¥3,594

-14.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.33 ¥676

30.48%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$3.04 ¥474

-40.46%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$1.07 ¥167

-33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.64 ¥101

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$3.11 ¥486

-27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.25 ¥351

61.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.37 ¥215

43.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$1.59 ¥248

-5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$4.52 ¥706

-70.35%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$1.44 ¥225

56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$8.89 ¥1,389

82.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$5.33 ¥833

-44.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$9.93 ¥1,552

0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$3.66 ¥571

-29.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$1.78 ¥278

-40.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$2.90 ¥453

-44.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$3.31 ¥517

-54.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$2.20 ¥343

-42.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$2.15 ¥336

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$1.02 ¥160

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.91 ¥142

-43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.67 ¥574

14.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$6.11 ¥954

192.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.45 ¥227

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$1.73 ¥270

64.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$2.55 ¥398

-63.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$56.3 ¥8,789

-4.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$3.85 ¥601

-68.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$2.09 ¥326

-72.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$17.37 ¥2,714

-86.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$1.05 ¥164

34.29%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$11.3K ¥1.8M

89.79%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$15.9K ¥2.5M

72.04%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$147 ¥22.9K

-56.60%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$12.66 ¥1,978

1.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$28.36 ¥4,431

-28.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$51.4 ¥8,034

-24.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$3.10 ¥485

28.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$6.40 ¥1,000

5.31%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$190 ¥29.6K

309.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$11.9K ¥1.9M

22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$28.39 ¥4,436

91.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$21.68 ¥3,387

17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$58.3 ¥9,108

61.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$36.97 ¥5,775

98.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$471 ¥73.6K

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

$329 ¥51.4K

-12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$1,055 ¥164.8K

-15.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$740 ¥115.7K

-30.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$4,052 ¥633.0K

-51.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$1,922 ¥300.2K

-23.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$1,320 ¥206.2K

-54.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.97

182.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Beppu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $471 in Beppu. 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 119% higher in Beppu, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Beppu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $243 – 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 Beppu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beppu costs about 15% 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 $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,639 in Beppu. 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 $947 in Chiang Mai and $1,093 in Beppu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 4% 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 $947, than in Beppu at $1,093. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beppu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,093 in Beppu. 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, Beppu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.