Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,287 in Tsu, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,287 in Tsu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tsu $1,287

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,999 in Tsu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tsu $1,999

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,710 in Tsu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tsu $2,710

Chiang Mai is about 27% cheaper than Tsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Tsu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tsu 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.22 ¥982

-63.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$17.49 ¥2,763

8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.91 ¥617

41.94%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.34 ¥369

-28.63%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$1.14 ¥181

-43.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.58 ¥90.9

-46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.10 ¥331

12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.35 ¥372

55.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.58 ¥249

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.28 ¥203

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$5.63 ¥889

-76.38%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.02 ¥319

12.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$12.56 ¥1,984

30.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$9.77 ¥1,543

-71.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$32.52 ¥5,135

-71.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.68 ¥581

-36.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.29 ¥362

-57.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$6.41 ¥1,012

-75.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.17 ¥659

-64.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$3.84 ¥607

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$3.47 ¥548

-68.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.30 ¥205

-45.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.03 ¥163

-52.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.53 ¥558

17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.37 ¥1,322

109.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.04 ¥323

-21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.47 ¥233

89.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.48 ¥234

-41.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$56.5 ¥8,926

-4.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$3.23 ¥509

-64.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$3.22 ¥509

-83.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$26.97 ¥4,259

-91.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.04 ¥164

39.42%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$19.0K ¥3.0M

10.88%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$16.7K ¥2.6M

61.02%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$145 ¥22.8K

-57.01%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$24.21 ¥3,824

-49.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$43.47 ¥6,866

-53.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$51.3 ¥8,107

-27.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$12.93 ¥2,042

-70.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.34 ¥1,317

-22.18%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$322 ¥50.8K

128.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$6,217 ¥981.8K

137.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$49.15 ¥7,762

8.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$25.83 ¥4,079

-4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$46.87 ¥7,403

95.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$65.4 ¥10.3K

10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$544 ¥85.9K

-11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$342 ¥53.9K

-9.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,021 ¥161.2K

-1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$738 ¥116.6K

-14.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$4,287 ¥677.0K

-44.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,268 ¥358.3K

-29.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,511 ¥238.6K

-60.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.9

193.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tsu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tsu

$342 26.5% 10.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tsu

$388 30.1% 65.5% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tsu

$84 6.5% 22.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tsu

$212 16.5% 125% $118

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tsu

$112 8.7% 43.8% $34

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tsu

$82 6.4% 33.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tsu

$68 5.3% 35.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $544 in Tsu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tsu are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $17 in Tsu. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $388 in Tsu – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Tsu

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

279,241

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tsu 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tsu

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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsu costs about 38% 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 $1,931 in Tsu. 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 $544 in Tsu.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $322 in Tsu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Tsu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,287 in Tsu. 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 $1,287 in Tsu. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tsu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.