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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,278 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,974 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,669 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 33% cheaper than Kitakyushu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Kitakyushu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Kitakyushu 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$7.34 ¥1,157

-72.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$41.29 ¥6,506

-54.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$4.94 ¥779

59.11%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$3.20 ¥504

-36.56%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$1.09 ¥172

-26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.75 ¥118

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$2.63 ¥414

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.05 ¥480

20.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.55 ¥244

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.64 ¥259

-4.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$4.29 ¥676

-72.03%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.55 ¥401

-22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$10.23 ¥1,612

58.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.28 ¥989

-51.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$20.94 ¥3,300

-48.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$3.21 ¥506

-13.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.36 ¥214

-13.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.41 ¥223

21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$3.29 ¥519

-51.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$2.71 ¥427

-48.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$3.17 ¥499

-63.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.92 ¥145

-28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.75 ¥119

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$3.84 ¥605

21.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$6.21 ¥979

186.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.95 ¥307

-8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.10 ¥331

59.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$1.65 ¥259

-44.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$55.3 ¥8,718

-66.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$4.55 ¥717

-69.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$2.92 ¥460

-54.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$19.38 ¥3,054

-58.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.23 ¥193

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-5.92%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$20.0K ¥3.2M

8.88%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$216 ¥34.0K

-66.94%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$27.59 ¥4,348

-49.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$35.33 ¥5,566

-49.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$56.0 ¥8,829

-27.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$13.63 ¥2,148

-49.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$13.98 ¥2,203

-59.08%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$408 ¥64.2K

-24.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

8.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$42.79 ¥6,742

30.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$29.20 ¥4,600

-10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$65.2 ¥10.3K

30.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$60.5 ¥9,524

17.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$467 ¥73.6K

-9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$334 ¥52.7K

-27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$867 ¥136.6K

-8.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$663 ¥104.5K

-23.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$4,260 ¥671.3K

-54.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$2,070 ¥326.1K

-29.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,463 ¥230.5K

-59.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

199.40%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $467 in Kitakyushu. 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 146% higher in Kitakyushu, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $41.00 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $284 – 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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kitakyushu costs about 50% 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 $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,918 in Kitakyushu. 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.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Chiang Mai and $408 in Kitakyushu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Kitakyushu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Kitakyushu at $1,278. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kitakyushu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,278 in Kitakyushu. 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, Kitakyushu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.