Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tsukuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,111 in Tsukuba, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Tsukuba
Learn more

Tsukuba Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,111 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tsukuba $1,111

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,773 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tsukuba $1,773

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,434 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tsukuba $2,434

Chiang Mai is about 16% cheaper than Tsukuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Tsukuba are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tsukuba 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.49 ¥1,024

-65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$33.75 ¥5,322

-43.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.13 ¥809

8.19%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.63 ¥415

-36.50%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.96 ¥151

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.80 ¥126

-61.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.11 ¥333

11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.13 ¥493

16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.39 ¥219

40.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.67 ¥264

-13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.25 ¥512

-59.08%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.09 ¥329

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.46 ¥1,649

57.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.03 ¥950

-53.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.40 ¥2,271

-35.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$5.63 ¥888

-58.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.75 ¥434

-64.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.83 ¥446

-43.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.23 ¥666

-64.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.52 ¥397

-49.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.67 ¥421

-58.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.82 ¥129

-13.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.76 ¥119

-35.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.71 ¥585

11.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$6.52 ¥1,028

168.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.74 ¥274

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.08 ¥328

33.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.43 ¥225

-39.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$55.8 ¥8,797

-3.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$3.20 ¥504

-63.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$2.76 ¥436

-80.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$20.77 ¥3,275

-88.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.11 ¥174

30.63%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-5.23%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

72.09%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$131 ¥20.7K

-52.71%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$24.64 ¥3,885

-50.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$31.74 ¥5,006

-36.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$56.0 ¥8,836

-33.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.27 ¥2,093

-51.09%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$96.3 ¥15.2K

664.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-1.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$47.58 ¥7,502

12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$36.56 ¥5,765

-32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$38.69 ¥6,101

136.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$41.36 ¥6,522

73.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$465 ¥73.4K

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$280 ¥44.2K

10.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,086 ¥171.3K

-7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$645 ¥101.7K

-1.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$4,791 ¥755.5K

-50.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,181 ¥343.9K

-27.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,458 ¥229.9K

-59.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

178.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tsukuba

$280 25.3% 9.2% $28

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tsukuba

$285 25.6% 21.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tsukuba

$74 6.7% 32% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tsukuba

$188 16.9% 98.9% $93

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tsukuba

$123 11.1% 58.2% $45

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tsukuba

$79 7.1% 27.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tsukuba

$83 7.4% 64.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $465 in Tsukuba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tsukuba are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Tsukuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $285 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Tsukuba

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

13:04 1:04 PM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

230,398

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 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 = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tsukuba 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tsukuba

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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tsukuba costs about 19% 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 $1,666 in Tsukuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $465 in Tsukuba. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $96 in Tsukuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Tsukuba, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,111 in Tsukuba. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,111 in Tsukuba. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Tsukuba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.