Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichikawa and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,167 in Ichikawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Ichikawa
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Ichikawa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ichikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,167

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,167 per month in Ichikawa vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ichikawa $1,167
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,876 per month in Ichikawa vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ichikawa $1,876
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,585 per month in Ichikawa vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ichikawa $2,585
Chiang Mai $1,914

Ichikawa costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ichikawa and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ichikawa 14% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 ¥811

$2.26 ฿75.4

126.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.09 ¥4,912

$19.18 ฿641

62.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.30 ¥680

$5.59 ฿187

-23.08%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ¥352

$1.72 ฿57.6

29.65%

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

$0.72 ¥113

$0.64 ฿21.54

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥55.7

$0.33 ฿11.18

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ¥395

$2.36 ฿78.7

5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥502

$3.90 ฿130

-18.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥218

$2.05 ฿68.6

-32.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥261

$1.40 ฿46.70

17.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 ¥578

$1.28 ฿42.89

185.94%

Eggs

$1.97 ¥311

$2.25 ฿75.3

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ¥1,663

$16.94 ฿566

-37.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 ¥926

$2.74 ฿91.6

113.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 ¥2,272

$9.36 ฿313

53.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 ¥874

$2.40 ฿80.3

130.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 ¥442

$1.01 ฿33.92

177.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥444

$1.61 ฿53.9

74.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$1.52 ฿50.7

180.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ¥413

$1.28 ฿42.90

103.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.11 ฿37.22

130.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥202

$0.72 ฿24.09

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.52 ฿17.54

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ¥590

$4.33 ฿145

-13.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 ¥1,007

$17.73 ฿593

-64.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥281

$1.63 ฿54.4

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥320

$2.85 ฿95.3

-29.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$0.85 ฿28.31

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 ¥9,457

$53.9 ฿1,801

11.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$1.17 ฿39.18

167.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 ¥432

$0.57 ฿19.00

378.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.59 ¥3,253

$2.37 ฿79.2

768.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.45 ฿48.32

-27.59%

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

$21.2K ¥3.4M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

3.58%

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

$18.5K ¥2.9M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-30.12%

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

$132 ¥20.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

111.52%

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

$23.97 ¥3,788

$12.27 ฿410

95.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.98 ¥5,052

$19.97 ฿668

60.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.04 ¥7,431

$37.91 ฿1,267

24.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 ¥2,022

$6.71 ฿224

90.76%

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

$642 ¥101.4K

$797 ฿26.6K

-19.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ¥2.3M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-1.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ¥9,801

$53.3 ฿1,780

16.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.27 ¥5,889

$25.05 ฿837

48.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 ¥9,559

$91.6 ฿3,062

-33.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$73.5 ฿2,455

38.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ¥78.3K

$464 ฿15.5K

6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ¥50.1K

$305 ฿10.2K

3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ¥187.3K

$915 ฿30.6K

29.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 ¥120.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

38.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 ¥703.9K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

133.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,881 ¥297.2K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

30.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

5.57

-52.60%

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

Last update for Ichikawa: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ichikawa

$317 27.1%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 3.8% $12

Groceries & Markets

Ichikawa

$287 24.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 17% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ichikawa

$188 16.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 49.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Ichikawa

$118 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 7% $8.2

Eating Out

Ichikawa

$104 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 23.9% $25

Getting Around

Ichikawa

$82 7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 25.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ichikawa

$73 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 29.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Ichikawa versus $464 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Ichikawa versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ichikawa

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

21:05 9:05 PM

2 h behind Ichikawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

496,676

127,240

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ichikawa Chiang Mai 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ichikawa
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

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

Ichikawa costs about 24% 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 $1,751 per month in Ichikawa and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. 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 $642 per month in Ichikawa and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Ichikawa, 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 $938, than in Ichikawa at $1,167. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ichikawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,167 in Ichikawa. 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, Ichikawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.