Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Wakayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,276 in Wakayama, 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,276 in Wakayama, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Wakayama $1,276

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,031 in Wakayama, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Wakayama $2,031

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,785 in Wakayama, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Wakayama $2,785

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

Both Chiang Mai and Wakayama are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Wakayama 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.47 ¥1,022

-64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$31.22 ¥4,932

-37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.89 ¥773

14.72%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.46 ¥389

-32.52%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.25 ¥197

-44.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.86 ¥136

-63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$3.20 ¥506

-24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.85 ¥293

100.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.57 ¥248

24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.53 ¥242

-7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$4.27 ¥675

-69.32%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.11 ¥334

3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$16.04 ¥2,534

3.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$7.05 ¥1,114

-60.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$17.10 ¥2,701

-46.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$8.20 ¥1,296

-70.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$3.02 ¥478

-65.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$5.15 ¥814

-68.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$7.94 ¥1,255

-81.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$4.01 ¥633

-67.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$4.59 ¥726

-75.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.14 ¥179

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.88 ¥139

-39.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.99 ¥630

8.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.33 ¥1,475

92.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.49 ¥393

-36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.15 ¥340

32.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.50 ¥236

-42.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$53.8 ¥8,496

-0.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.07 ¥485

-60.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$2.91 ¥460

-80.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$15.69 ¥2,478

-85.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.06 ¥167

35.85%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-5.69%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

78.19%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$117 ¥18.4K

-46.61%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$23.45 ¥3,705

-48.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$31.45 ¥4,968

-36.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$51.3 ¥8,109

-27.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$11.21 ¥1,771

-42.02%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$564 ¥89.1K

40.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-0.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$49.37 ¥7,800

8.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$35.42 ¥5,596

-30.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$59.4 ¥9,385

52.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$98.7 ¥15.6K

-27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$526 ¥83.1K

-13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$337 ¥53.3K

-11.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,093 ¥172.7K

-16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$738 ¥116.5K

-24.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$4,206 ¥664.5K

-54.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,756 ¥277.4K

-17.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$3,965 ¥626.4K

-85.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.67

233.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Wakayama

$337 26.4% 13.2% $39

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Wakayama

$382 30% 62.4% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Wakayama

$109 8.6% 1% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Wakayama

$172 13.5% 81.9% $77

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Wakayama

$124 9.7% 58% $46

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Wakayama

$77 6.1% 27.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Wakayama

$74 5.8% 47.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $526 in Wakayama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 571% higher in Wakayama, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $31.00 in Wakayama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $382 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

362,163

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Wakayama 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Wakayama

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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wakayama 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,914 in Wakayama. 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 $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $564 in Wakayama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Wakayama, 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 $925, than in Wakayama at $1,276. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wakayama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,276 in Wakayama. 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, Wakayama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.