Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Okazaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,248 in Okazaki, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Okazaki
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Okazaki Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Okazaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,248

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,248 in Okazaki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Okazaki $1,248

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,992 in Okazaki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Okazaki $1,992

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,736 in Okazaki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Okazaki $2,736

Chiang Mai is about 25% cheaper than Okazaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$7.71 ¥1,217

-70.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$31.70 ¥5,006

-40.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.98 ¥787

11.45%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.32 ¥366

-28.02%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$1.18 ¥187

-45.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.59 ¥92.9

-47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.11 ¥333

11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.34 ¥370

56.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.50 ¥236

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.27 ¥201

13.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$5.48 ¥865

-75.73%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.09 ¥330

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$12.62 ¥1,993

30.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$9.73 ¥1,536

-71.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$31.82 ¥5,026

-70.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.67 ¥579

-35.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.28 ¥360

-57.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$6.51 ¥1,028

-75.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.23 ¥667

-64.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$3.76 ¥594

-65.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$3.43 ¥542

-67.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.25 ¥197

-43.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.04 ¥164

-52.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.55 ¥560

16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.46 ¥1,336

107.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.05 ¥324

-21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.52 ¥240

82.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.31 ¥207

-33.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$59.6 ¥9,409

-9.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$3.11 ¥492

-62.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$3.09 ¥487

-82.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$26.38 ¥4,166

-90.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.11 ¥176

30.63%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$20.0K ¥3.2M

5.32%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$16.6K ¥2.6M

62.55%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$145 ¥22.9K

-57.06%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$24.05 ¥3,798

-49.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$42.57 ¥6,724

-52.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$50.4 ¥7,952

-25.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.26 ¥1,462

-29.91%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$323 ¥51.0K

127.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$6,200 ¥979.1K

138.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$50.6 ¥7,993

5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$25.23 ¥3,985

-2.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$46.24 ¥7,303

97.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$64.6 ¥10.2K

11.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$550 ¥86.9K

-12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$289 ¥45.6K

7.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$975 ¥153.9K

3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$678 ¥107.0K

-6.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$4,103 ¥647.9K

-42.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,282 ¥360.4K

-30.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.28

144.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Okazaki: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Okazaki

$289 23.1% 6.6% $20

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Okazaki

$385 30.8% 64.2% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Okazaki

$84 6.7% 22.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Okazaki

$211 16.9% 124% $117

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Okazaki

$127 10.2% 63.3% $49

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Okazaki

$83 6.7% 35.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Okazaki

$69 5.5% 37% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $550 in Okazaki. 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 $32 in Okazaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $385 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Okazaki

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

03:25 3:25 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

382,846

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Okazaki 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Okazaki

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 Okazaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okazaki costs about 33% 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 $1,872 in Okazaki. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $550 in Okazaki.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $323 in Okazaki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Okazaki, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,248 in Okazaki. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,248 in Okazaki. 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.