Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Utsunomiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Utsunomiya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $950 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,259 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,430 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,947 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,635 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Utsunomiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Utsunomiya are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Utsunomiya 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$6.13 ¥941

-65.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$17.11 ¥2,627

15.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$4.55 ¥699

27.25%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$3.55 ¥546

-48.45%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$1.09 ¥167

-28.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.81 ¥125

-61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$3.18 ¥488

-26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$1.93 ¥297

91.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$1.39 ¥214

46.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$1.76 ¥270

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$5.81 ¥893

-75.56%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$2.23 ¥342

-2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$11.02 ¥1,693

44.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$7.66 ¥1,176

-59.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

$19.93 ¥3,061

-50.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$5.36 ¥823

-50.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$2.56 ¥393

-57.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$4.68 ¥718

-65.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$6.05 ¥930

-74.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$3.50 ¥538

-64.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$3.37 ¥517

-66.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$1.26 ¥193

-41.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.80 ¥123

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$3.95 ¥607

8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$9.27 ¥1,423

93.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.83 ¥280

-7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$3.06 ¥470

-5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$1.45 ¥222

-35.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$55.3 ¥8,491

-0.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$3.20 ¥492

-61.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$3.20 ¥491

-83.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$18.70 ¥2,871

-87.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.10 ¥169

30.91%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

-0.45%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$14.9K ¥2.3M

82.74%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$162 ¥24.8K

-59.84%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$22.70 ¥3,486

-41.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$29.92 ¥4,594

-30.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$49.90 ¥7,662

-19.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$12.30 ¥1,888

-67.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$12.65 ¥1,943

-46.96%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$1,301 ¥199.7K

-39.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$17.6K ¥2.7M

-14.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$52.2 ¥8,008

7.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$31.88 ¥4,896

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$61.9 ¥9,506

49.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$73.0 ¥11.2K

2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$463 ¥71.0K

4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$324 ¥49.8K

-11.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$1,085 ¥166.6K

-16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$723 ¥111.0K

-26.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$4,204 ¥645.6K

-52.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$1,907 ¥292.8K

-23.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.93

188.60%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Utsunomiya: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Chiang Mai versus $463 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $17.00 in Utsunomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Chiang Mai vs $352 in Utsunomiya – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 32% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,888 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $787 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,301 in Utsunomiya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Utsunomiya, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $950, than in Utsunomiya at $1,259. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utsunomiya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $950 versus $1,259 in Utsunomiya. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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