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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,066 in Miyazaki, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,705 in Miyazaki, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,343 in Miyazaki, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 11% cheaper than Miyazaki, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chiang Mai and Miyazaki are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Miyazaki 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

$6.08 ¥950

-65.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$27.75 ¥4,335

-29.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.56 ¥713

23.90%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$2.25 ¥351

-19.56%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$1.07 ¥167

-33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.61 ¥95.8

-47.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$1.55 ¥242

44.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.24 ¥351

62.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.28 ¥199

53.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$1.59 ¥248

-5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$2.56 ¥400

-47.66%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$1.98 ¥309

14.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$12.35 ¥1,929

31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$5.31 ¥830

-44.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$19.37 ¥3,026

-48.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$3.62 ¥565

-29.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$1.72 ¥269

-38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$2.77 ¥432

-41.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$3.07 ¥479

-50.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$1.83 ¥286

-30.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$1.85 ¥290

-42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$0.62 ¥96.6

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.92 ¥143

-44.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.77 ¥588

11.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$6.24 ¥975

186.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.64 ¥255

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$1.88 ¥294

51.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$1.51 ¥236

-38.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$54.1 ¥8,447

-0.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$3.39 ¥530

-63.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$1.98 ¥310

-70.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$16.00 ¥2,499

-84.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$1.05 ¥163

34.29%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$21.9K ¥3.4M

-1.89%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$15.0K ¥2.3M

81.72%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$106 ¥16.5K

-39.85%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$24.60 ¥3,843

-47.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$32.44 ¥5,068

-37.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$44.63 ¥6,973

-13.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$11.10 ¥1,734

-39.28%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$123 ¥19.2K

532.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$12.3K ¥1.9M

19.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$38.05 ¥5,944

42.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$23.82 ¥3,721

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$56.7 ¥8,849

66.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$46.47 ¥7,259

58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$471 ¥73.6K

3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

$327 ¥51.0K

-11.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$978 ¥152.8K

-8.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$628 ¥98.1K

-17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$4,691 ¥732.8K

-58.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$2,101 ¥328.2K

-29.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$1,249 ¥195.1K

-51.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.97

182.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Miyazaki: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $471 in Miyazaki. 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 107% higher in Miyazaki, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $28.00 in Miyazaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $270 – 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 Miyazaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miyazaki costs about 12% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,599 in Miyazaki. 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 $778 per month in Chiang Mai and $123 in Miyazaki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Miyazaki, 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 $947, than in Miyazaki at $1,066. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Miyazaki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,066 in Miyazaki. 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, Miyazaki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.