Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Fukushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,179 in Fukushima, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Fukushima
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Fukushima Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Fukushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Fukushima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Fukushima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,179 in Fukushima, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Fukushima $1,179

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,896 in Fukushima, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Fukushima $1,896

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,613 in Fukushima, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Fukushima $2,613

Chiang Mai is about 21% cheaper than Fukushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Fukushima are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Fukushima 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$5.97 ¥946

-64.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$29.63 ¥4,695

-37.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$4.37 ¥692

28.15%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.47 ¥391

-32.79%

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

$0.65 ฿21.70

$0.97 ¥153

-32.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.23

$0.67 ¥105

-55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.58 ¥409

-10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.18 ¥504

15.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.51 ¥240

33.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.24

$1.53 ¥243

-7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.69

$4.10 ¥650

-66.10%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$2.09 ¥331

13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$10.23 ¥1,620

61.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.6

$6.50 ¥1,029

-58.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$17.13 ¥2,714

-47.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.5

$3.71 ¥588

-35.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.93

$2.23 ¥353

-53.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$2.95 ¥467

-43.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$4.09 ¥648

-61.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.52

$2.38 ¥376

-47.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.46

$2.48 ¥392

-56.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.56

$1.32 ¥210

-42.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.25

$0.83 ¥132

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.99 ¥633

3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$6.55 ¥1,037

173.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.88 ¥298

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.7

$2.15 ¥341

31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.35

$1.52 ¥241

-38.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,775

$58.4 ¥9,253

-9.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.48

$3.56 ¥565

-66.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$2.96 ¥469

-94.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$23.07 ¥3,654

-92.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.41

$1.21 ¥192

21.49%

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

$21.0K ฿705.0K

$22.4K ¥3.5M

-6.07%

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

$26.5K ฿889.6K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

77.23%

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

$62.6 ฿2,099

$125 ¥19.8K

-49.83%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$21.80 ¥3,454

-46.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$32.57 ¥5,159

-37.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,271

$51.2 ¥8,108

-25.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$11.50 ¥1,821

-43.39%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$692 ¥109.6K

5.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.1K

$18.2K ¥2.9M

-9.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,796

$52.5 ¥8,315

2.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$34.18 ¥5,414

-27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,032

$67.4 ¥10.7K

34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,415

$77.2 ¥12.2K

-6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$556 ¥88.0K

-13.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$334 ¥52.9K

-7.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$973 ¥154.1K

8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$808 ¥128.0K

-18.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$4,329 ¥685.9K

-44.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$2,479 ¥392.8K

-35.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.21

152.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Fukushima

$334 28.3% 7.8% $24

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Fukushima

$288 24.5% 21.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Fukushima

$104 8.8% 4% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Fukushima

$179 15.2% 89.5% $85

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Fukushima

$116 9.9% 51.9% $40

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Fukushima

$83 7% 41.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Fukushima

$74 6.3% 45.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $556 in Fukushima. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $30 in Fukushima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $288 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Fukushima

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

09:29 9:29 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

282,693

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.49 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Chiang Mai Fukushima 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Chiang Mai
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,768 in Fukushima. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $556 in Fukushima.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $692 in Fukushima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Fukushima, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,179 in Fukushima. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,179 in Fukushima. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 21% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.