Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,142 in Ibaraki, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Ibaraki
Learn more

Ibaraki Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,142

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ibaraki and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,142 per month in Ibaraki vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibaraki $1,142
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,768 per month in Ibaraki vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibaraki $1,768
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,395 per month in Ibaraki vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibaraki $2,395
Chiang Mai $1,999

Ibaraki costs about 22% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ibaraki and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ibaraki 16% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ¥983

$2.13 ฿71.2

191.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.03 ¥4,915

$18.62 ฿622

66.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥827

$5.60 ฿187

-6.79%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ¥499

$1.66 ฿55.5

89.76%

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

$1.15 ¥182

$0.65 ฿21.59

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$0.30 ฿10.18

163.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.32 ฿77.5

14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥494

$3.67 ฿122

-14.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 ¥432

$2.02 ฿67.3

35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.41 ฿47.00

11.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 ¥650

$1.39 ฿46.46

194.96%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$2.37 ฿79.0

-14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ¥1,637

$16.52 ฿551

-37.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ¥1,037

$2.67 ฿89.1

144.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 ¥2,652

$9.02 ฿301

85.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ¥588

$2.40 ฿80.1

54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥361

$1.04 ฿34.76

119.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 ¥467

$1.66 ฿55.4

77.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 ¥659

$1.56 ฿52.0

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 ¥392

$1.24 ฿41.31

99.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥412

$1.09 ฿36.27

138.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥209

$0.76 ฿25.43

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$0.51 ฿17.16

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ¥680

$4.12 ฿138

4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.57 ¥1,040

$17.93 ฿598

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥295

$1.62 ฿54.2

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥329

$2.82 ฿94.2

-26.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ¥260

$0.93 ฿31.19

76.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 ¥9,160

$52.9 ฿1,766

9.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 ¥753

$1.18 ฿39.28

302.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥464

$0.17 ฿5.72

1623.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.58 ¥4,051

$1.81 ฿60.5

1313.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.47 ฿49.16

-25.85%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.0K ฿701.4K

3.32%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$26.5K ฿885.1K

-42.01%

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

$138 ¥21.8K

$62.6 ฿2,088

119.95%

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

$24.35 ¥3,857

$11.60 ฿387

109.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.52 ¥4,991

$20.30 ฿678

55.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ¥8,017

$37.88 ฿1,264

33.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿123

Cinema Ticket

$12.49 ¥1,978

$6.51 ฿217

91.86%

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

$626 ¥99.2K

$727 ฿24.3K

-13.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$16.6K ฿553.2K

-6.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.34 ¥4,171

$53.5 ฿1,787

-50.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.99 ¥5,067

$24.80 ฿828

28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 ¥10.7K

$90.4 ฿3,017

-25.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 ¥12.8K

$72.0 ฿2,402

12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.8K

$481 ฿16.1K

-16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 ¥41.9K

$310 ฿10.3K

-14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ¥162.8K

$1,058 ฿35.3K

-2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 ¥83.5K

$659 ฿22.0K

-19.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,712 ¥746.3K

$2,418 ฿80.7K

94.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,384 ¥377.6K

$1,609 ฿53.7K

48.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,498 ¥395.6K

$595 ฿19.9K

319.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

5.57

-60.32%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ibaraki

$301 26.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 21.4% $64

Accommodation & Living

Ibaraki

$264 23.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 17.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibaraki

$193 17%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 51.2% $99

Eating Out

Ibaraki

$130 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 41.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ibaraki

$93 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 16.3% $15

Getting Around

Ibaraki

$84 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 30% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Ibaraki

$76 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 32.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Ibaraki versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ibaraki are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Ibaraki versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ibaraki

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

2 h behind Ibaraki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

287,730

127,240

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ibaraki Chiang Mai 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibaraki
Chiang Mai

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

Ibaraki vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibaraki costs about 22% 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 $1,712 per month in Ibaraki and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ibaraki, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $403 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $626 per month in Ibaraki and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Ibaraki, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,142 in Ibaraki and $935 in Chiang Mai. 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 $1,142 in Ibaraki. 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.

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