Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Utsunomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,316 in Utsunomiya, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Utsunomiya
Learn more

Utsunomiya Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Utsunomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,316 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Utsunomiya $1,316

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,971 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Utsunomiya $1,971

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,625 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Utsunomiya $2,625

Chiang Mai is about 29% cheaper than Utsunomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Utsunomiya are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Utsunomiya 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$6.07 ¥958

-63.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$16.88 ¥2,666

12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.86 ¥768

14.20%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.52 ¥556

-52.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.07 ¥169

-40.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.84 ¥133

-63.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.11 ¥490

-24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.86 ¥293

96.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.45 ¥229

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.67 ¥264

-13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$5.63 ¥888

-76.38%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.25 ¥356

1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$11.56 ¥1,825

42.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.80 ¥1,074

-59.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.74 ¥2,644

-44.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.85 ¥766

-51.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.27 ¥358

-57.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.25 ¥672

-62.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$5.27 ¥832

-71.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.40 ¥536

-62.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.01 ¥476

-63.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.18 ¥187

-39.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.79 ¥124

-37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.96 ¥626

4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$9.70 ¥1,531

80.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.68 ¥265

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.75 ¥434

1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.25 ¥198

-30.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$64.4 ¥10.2K

-16.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.08 ¥486

-62.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$3.13 ¥495

-83.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$18.99 ¥2,998

-87.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.06 ¥167

36.79%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-7.69%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

76.84%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$150 ¥23.6K

-58.42%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$23.41 ¥3,696

-48.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$30.11 ¥4,754

-33.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$50.5 ¥7,980

-26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$12.49 ¥1,972

-69.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.12 ¥2,072

-50.53%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$1,408 ¥222.3K

-47.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$18.2K ¥2.9M

-18.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$55.1 ¥8,694

-3.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$32.60 ¥5,148

-24.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$64.8 ¥10.2K

41.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$72.1 ¥11.4K

-0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$609 ¥96.2K

-20.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$388 ¥61.3K

-20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$893 ¥141.0K

12.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$721 ¥113.9K

-12.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,783 ¥597.2K

-37.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,111 ¥333.3K

-24.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.25

147.56%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Utsunomiya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Utsunomiya

$388 29.5% 25.7% $79

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Utsunomiya

$327 24.8% 39.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Utsunomiya

$101 7.7% 7% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Utsunomiya

$203 15.4% 115% $109

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Utsunomiya

$132 10.1% 70.5% $55

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Utsunomiya

$88 6.7% 43.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Utsunomiya

$77 5.8% 52.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $609 in Utsunomiya. 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 $17 in Utsunomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $327 in Utsunomiya – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Utsunomiya

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

519,217

💱 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 = 5.69 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Utsunomiya 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Utsunomiya

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 Utsunomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Utsunomiya costs about 41% 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 $1,974 in Utsunomiya. 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 $609 in Utsunomiya.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,408 in Utsunomiya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Utsunomiya, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,316 in Utsunomiya. 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 $1,316 in Utsunomiya. 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.