Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ube

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,240 in Ube, 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Ube
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Ube Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ube

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,240 in Ube, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Ube $1,240

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,925 in Ube, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ube $1,925

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,610 in Ube, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ube $2,610

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$6.98 ¥1,106

-69.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$34.82 ¥5,516

-46.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.61 ¥889

-0.18%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.20 ¥507

-48.13%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$1.14 ¥181

-42.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.81 ¥128

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$2.02 ¥320

14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.09 ¥489

18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.51 ¥240

33.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.57 ¥249

-10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$4.80 ¥760

-71.04%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$2.20 ¥349

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$9.93 ¥1,573

66.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$6.37 ¥1,009

-58.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$15.50 ¥2,455

-41.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$5.25 ¥832

-54.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$2.62 ¥415

-60.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.97 ¥629

-58.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.46 ¥707

-65.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$3.31 ¥524

-62.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$2.69 ¥427

-59.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$1.38 ¥218

-44.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.82 ¥130

-37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.04 ¥640

1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$6.65 ¥1,053

169.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.97 ¥312

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$2.35 ¥372

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$1.60 ¥253

-41.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$56.5 ¥8,948

-6.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$3.39 ¥537

-65.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$2.90 ¥459

-94.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$21.04 ¥3,333

-91.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.18 ¥188

24.58%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-7.93%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

53.91%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$142 ¥22.5K

-55.90%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$27.14 ¥4,299

-57.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$34.42 ¥5,453

-41.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$57.7 ¥9,147

-34.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$13.93 ¥2,207

-73.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$12.94 ¥2,049

-49.69%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$277 ¥44.0K

162.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

22.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$42.73 ¥6,769

25.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$29.68 ¥4,702

-16.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$60.0 ¥9,502

50.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$91.1 ¥14.4K

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$462 ¥73.2K

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$330 ¥52.3K

-6.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$860 ¥136.2K

23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$648 ¥102.6K

1.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$2,856 ¥452.4K

-15.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,757 ¥278.3K

-8.44%

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 Ube: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ube

$330 26.6% 6.6% $20

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ube

$306 24.7% 29.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ube

$101 8.1% 7.2% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ube

$203 16.4% 115% $109

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ube

$135 10.9% 76.5% $59

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ube

$81 6.5% 37.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ube

$84 6.8% 64.3% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $462 in Ube. 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 $35 in Ube. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $306 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Ube

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

162,570

💱 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 4, 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 4, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ube 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ube

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 Ube: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ube 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 $1,859 in Ube. 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 $462 in Ube. 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 Ube. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Ube, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,240 in Ube. 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 $1,240 in Ube. 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.