Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kawagoe

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,075 in Kawagoe, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kawagoe
Learn more

Kawagoe Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,075 in Kawagoe, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kawagoe $1,075

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,744 in Kawagoe, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kawagoe $1,744

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,413 in Kawagoe, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kawagoe $2,413

Chiang Mai is about 13% cheaper than Kawagoe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Kawagoe are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kawagoe 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$6.33 ¥1,000

-64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$41.23 ¥6,507

-53.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.95 ¥782

12.12%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$3.50 ¥552

-52.29%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.92 ¥145

-30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.52 ¥82.6

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.91 ¥301

23.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.74 ¥432

33.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.15 ¥182

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.28 ¥202

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$3.67 ¥579

-63.76%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.08 ¥328

9.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$6.34 ¥1,001

159.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.90 ¥932

-52.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.16 ¥2,236

-34.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$5.82 ¥918

-59.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$2.34 ¥369

-58.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.88 ¥455

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.12 ¥492

-51.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$2.54 ¥401

-49.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.85 ¥292

-40.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.27 ¥201

-44.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.76 ¥120

-35.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.83 ¥604

8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$4.65 ¥734

276.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.81 ¥286

-11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.03 ¥320

36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$2.97 ¥469

-70.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$52.8 ¥8,338

2.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$3.11 ¥491

-62.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$2.63 ¥415

-79.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$20.31 ¥3,205

-88.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.06 ¥168

36.79%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$15.6K ¥2.5M

34.84%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$12.8K ¥2.0M

109.85%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$133 ¥21.0K

-53.23%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$22.18 ¥3,500

-45.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$31.10 ¥4,909

-35.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$43.19 ¥6,817

-13.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$30.97 ¥4,888

-87.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.95 ¥1,729

-40.73%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$320 ¥50.6K

129.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$6,292 ¥993.1K

134.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$31.66 ¥4,997

68.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$33.72 ¥5,323

-26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$43.55 ¥6,874

110.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$93.2 ¥14.7K

-22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$407 ¥64.2K

18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$267 ¥42.1K

15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$862 ¥136.1K

16.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$605 ¥95.5K

4.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,474 ¥390.5K

-4.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,772 ¥279.6K

-10.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,597 ¥252.0K

-63.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.6

248.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kawagoe

$267 24.8% 13.7% $42

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kawagoe

$257 23.9% 9.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kawagoe

$91 8.5% 16.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kawagoe

$186 17.3% 97.1% $92

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kawagoe

$128 11.9% 65.3% $51

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kawagoe

$81 7.5% 31.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kawagoe

$65 6.1% 29.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $407 in Kawagoe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kawagoe are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $41 in Kawagoe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $257 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Kawagoe

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

350,745

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kawagoe 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kawagoe

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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawagoe costs about 15% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,612 in Kawagoe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kawagoe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $41 in Kawagoe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Kawagoe, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,075 in Kawagoe. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,075 in Kawagoe. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Kawagoe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.