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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,212 in Nagasaki, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,912 in Nagasaki, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,611 in Nagasaki, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 28% cheaper than Nagasaki, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chiang Mai and Nagasaki are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Nagasaki 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$5.46 ¥874

-63.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$21.08 ¥3,372

-10.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$5.56 ¥890

39.39%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$3.03 ¥485

-36.63%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$1.04 ¥166

-24.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.74 ¥119

-51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.50 ¥400

-11.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.39 ¥382

53.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.55 ¥248

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.23 ¥197

32.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$4.05 ¥648

-70.62%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$2.22 ¥355

-9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$10.48 ¥1,677

52.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$3.48 ¥557

-12.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$20.73 ¥3,315

-47.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$3.06 ¥489

-9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.43 ¥228

-17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.35 ¥216

21.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$5.94 ¥950

-74.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$2.82 ¥450

-51.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$3.27 ¥523

-63.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.92 ¥147

-23.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.53 ¥84.6

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$3.86 ¥617

18.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$6.19 ¥990

167.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.92 ¥307

-4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.06 ¥330

55.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$1.01 ¥162

-12.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$115 ¥18.3K

-83.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$4.02 ¥644

-66.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$2.96 ¥473

-54.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$19.97 ¥3,193

-60.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.20 ¥192

2.50%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

-8.03%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$20.3K ¥3.3M

10.84%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$219 ¥35.1K

-67.81%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$27.32 ¥4,370

-49.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$36.23 ¥5,794

-51.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$55.3 ¥8,843

-25.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$14.05 ¥2,247

-50.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$13.79 ¥2,206

-58.16%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$260 ¥41.6K

18.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$13.3K ¥2.1M

9.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$44.07 ¥7,049

26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$29.14 ¥4,660

-10.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$67.1 ¥10.7K

27.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$60.6 ¥9,685

19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$316 ¥50.5K

35.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$205 ¥32.7K

16.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$852 ¥136.3K

-4.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$668 ¥106.8K

-23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$4,621 ¥739.1K

-57.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$2,324 ¥371.7K

-36.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $316 in Nagasaki. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Nagasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $274 – 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 Nagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagasaki costs about 39% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,818 in Nagasaki. 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 $307 per month in Chiang Mai and $260 in Nagasaki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Nagasaki, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $1,212 in Nagasaki, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $1,212 in Nagasaki. 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, Nagasaki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.