Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nago, Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,239 in Nago, Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Nago, Okinawa
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Nago, Okinawa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Nago, Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,239

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Nago, Okinawa

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,239 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Nago, Okinawa $1,239

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,920 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Nago, Okinawa $1,920

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,601 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Nago, Okinawa $2,601

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Nago, Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Nago, Okinawa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nago, Okinawa 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$7.10 ¥1,125

-70.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$34.07 ¥5,397

-45.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.48 ¥869

2.19%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.08 ¥488

-46.10%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$1.09 ¥173

-40.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.76 ¥121

-60.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$2.07 ¥327

12.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.09 ¥490

18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.59 ¥252

27.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.57 ¥249

-10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$4.65 ¥736

-70.11%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$2.23 ¥353

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$10.07 ¥1,595

64.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$6.32 ¥1,001

-57.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$15.20 ¥2,407

-40.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$5.37 ¥851

-55.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$2.56 ¥406

-59.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.90 ¥618

-57.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.69 ¥743

-66.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$3.35 ¥530

-62.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$2.54 ¥403

-57.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$1.40 ¥222

-45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.89 ¥140

-42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.21 ¥667

-2.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$6.74 ¥1,068

166.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.98 ¥313

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$2.28 ¥360

23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$1.59 ¥251

-41.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$55.4 ¥8,773

-4.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$3.39 ¥537

-65.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$2.91 ¥461

-94.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$20.70 ¥3,279

-91.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.24 ¥197

18.55%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

-8.89%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

56.25%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$139 ¥22.0K

-54.94%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$27.03 ¥4,281

-57.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$33.62 ¥5,325

-39.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$56.8 ¥8,994

-33.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$13.96 ¥2,212

-73.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$13.32 ¥2,111

-51.13%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$277 ¥43.8K

162.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

22.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$42.56 ¥6,742

25.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$28.99 ¥4,592

-14.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$59.2 ¥9,370

52.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$92.2 ¥14.6K

-21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$468 ¥74.2K

2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$335 ¥53.0K

-7.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$877 ¥139.0K

20.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$650 ¥102.9K

1.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$2,795 ¥442.8K

-13.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,789 ¥283.4K

-10.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.81

207.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Nago, Okinawa

$335 27% 8% $25

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Nago, Okinawa

$307 24.8% 29.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Nago, Okinawa

$100 8.1% 7.4% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nago, Okinawa

$199 16.1% 111% $105

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Nago, Okinawa

$134 10.8% 75.3% $58

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Nago, Okinawa

$80 6.4% 35.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Nago, Okinawa

$83 6.7% 63.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $468 in Nago, Okinawa. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Nago, Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $307 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Nago, Okinawa

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

09:36 9:36 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

63,554

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.61 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.61 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Chiang Mai Nago, Okinawa 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nago, Okinawa

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 Nago, Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nago, Okinawa costs about 32% 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 $1,858 in Nago, Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $468 in Nago, Okinawa. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $277 in Nago, Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Nago, Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,239 in Nago, Okinawa. 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 $1,239 in Nago, Okinawa. 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.