Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ibaraki

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,142 in Ibaraki, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Ibaraki
Learn more

Ibaraki Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,142 in Ibaraki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Ibaraki $1,142

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,768 in Ibaraki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ibaraki $1,768

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,395 in Ibaraki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ibaraki $2,395

Chiang Mai is about 18% cheaper than Ibaraki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ibaraki are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ibaraki 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.20 ¥977

-65.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$31.03 ¥4,888

-39.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$5.22 ¥822

7.28%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.15 ¥496

-47.30%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$1.15 ¥181

-43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.79 ¥124

-62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$2.65 ¥417

-12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.12 ¥491

17.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$2.73 ¥429

-26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.57 ¥247

-10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$4.10 ¥646

-66.10%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.03 ¥319

16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$10.34 ¥1,628

59.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$6.54 ¥1,031

-59.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$16.75 ¥2,638

-46.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$3.71 ¥585

-35.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$2.28 ¥359

-54.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$2.95 ¥464

-43.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$4.16 ¥655

-62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$2.47 ¥390

-49.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$2.60 ¥410

-58.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.32 ¥208

-42.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.85 ¥134

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$4.29 ¥676

-3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$6.57 ¥1,035

172.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.86 ¥293

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$2.08 ¥327

35.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.64 ¥258

-43.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$57.8 ¥9,109

-8.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$4.75 ¥749

-75.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$2.93 ¥461

-94.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$25.58 ¥4,028

-92.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.09 ¥172

34.86%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

-3.21%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

72.44%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$138 ¥21.7K

-54.53%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$24.35 ¥3,835

-52.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$31.52 ¥4,964

-35.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$50.6 ¥7,973

-25.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$12.49 ¥1,967

-47.88%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$626 ¥98.6K

16.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

7.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$26.34 ¥4,148

103.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$31.99 ¥5,039

-22.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$67.6 ¥10.6K

33.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$81.0 ¥12.8K

-11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$403 ¥63.4K

19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$264 ¥41.6K

17.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$1,028 ¥161.9K

2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$527 ¥83.0K

24.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$4,712 ¥742.1K

-48.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$2,384 ¥375.5K

-32.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,498 ¥393.4K

-76.19%

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 Ibaraki: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ibaraki

$264 23.2% 14.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ibaraki

$301 26.4% 27.2% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ibaraki

$93 8.2% 14.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ibaraki

$193 17% 105% $99

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ibaraki

$130 11.4% 70.2% $54

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ibaraki

$84 7.3% 42.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ibaraki

$76 6.6% 48.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $403 in Ibaraki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ibaraki are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $31 in Ibaraki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $301 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Ibaraki

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

20:41 8:41 PM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

287,730

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 157 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ibaraki 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ibaraki

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 Ibaraki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibaraki costs about 22% 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 $1,712 in Ibaraki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ibaraki, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $403 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $626 in Ibaraki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Ibaraki, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,142 in Ibaraki. 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 $1,142 in Ibaraki. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ibaraki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.