Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gifu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,267 in Gifu, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Gifu
Learn more

Gifu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Gifu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Gifu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,267 in Gifu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Gifu $1,267

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,040 in Gifu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Gifu $2,040

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,814 in Gifu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Gifu $2,814

Chiang Mai is about 26% cheaper than Gifu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Gifu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Gifu 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$7.71 ¥1,218

-70.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$31.30 ¥4,945

-39.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.85 ¥766

14.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.31 ¥365

-27.71%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.18 ¥186

-45.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.62 ¥97.3

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.12 ¥335

11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.37 ¥374

54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.50 ¥237

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.32 ¥208

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$5.52 ¥871

-75.91%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.09 ¥330

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$12.52 ¥1,979

31.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$9.60 ¥1,517

-71.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$32.24 ¥5,093

-71.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.81 ¥602

-38.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.30 ¥364

-57.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$6.42 ¥1,014

-75.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.21 ¥665

-64.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.74 ¥590

-65.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.47 ¥548

-68.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.29 ¥204

-44.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.95 ¥150

-48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.54 ¥560

16.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$8.36 ¥1,321

109.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.04 ¥322

-21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.53 ¥241

81.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.56 ¥246

-44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$61.4 ¥9,707

-11.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.15 ¥498

-63.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$3.26 ¥514

-83.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$27.03 ¥4,270

-91.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.11 ¥175

30.63%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$20.0K ¥3.2M

5.38%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$16.5K ¥2.6M

62.82%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$143 ¥22.6K

-56.58%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$24.52 ¥3,874

-50.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$42.97 ¥6,789

-53.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$49.00 ¥7,742

-23.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$12.61 ¥1,993

-48.53%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$323 ¥51.1K

127.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$6,232 ¥984.6K

136.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$49.60 ¥7,836

7.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$25.33 ¥4,002

-2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$46.99 ¥7,423

94.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$66.0 ¥10.4K

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$564 ¥89.1K

-14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$298 ¥47.1K

3.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,075 ¥169.9K

-6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$737 ¥116.4K

-14.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$4,525 ¥714.9K

-47.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,202 ¥347.8K

-27.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.28

144.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gifu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Gifu

$298 23.6% 3.4% $11

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Gifu

$385 30.4% 64.3% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Gifu

$85 6.7% 22.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Gifu

$211 16.6% 123% $116

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Gifu

$126 10% 63% $49

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Gifu

$87 6.9% 41.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Gifu

$74 5.9% 47.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $564 in Gifu. 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 $31 in Gifu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $385 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Gifu

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

04:04 4:04 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

404,352

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Gifu 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gifu

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 Gifu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gifu costs about 35% 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 $1,900 in Gifu. 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 $482 there versus $564 in Gifu.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $323 in Gifu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Gifu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,267 in Gifu. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,267 in Gifu. 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 35% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.