Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maebashi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,696 in Maebashi, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Maebashi
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Maebashi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Maebashi

🇯🇵 Japan

$2,696

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,696 per month in Maebashi vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maebashi $2,696
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,569 per month in Maebashi vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maebashi $2,569
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,441 per month in Maebashi vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maebashi $2,441
Chiang Mai $1,999

Maebashi costs about 188% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Maebashi sits 99% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.79 ¥1,384

$2.13 ฿71.4

312.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.55 ¥4,969

$18.62 ฿623

69.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥788

$5.60 ฿187

-10.71%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥394

$1.66 ฿55.6

50.60%

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

$1.24 ¥196

$0.65 ฿21.63

90.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥148

$0.30 ฿10.20

213.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ¥430

$2.32 ฿77.7

17.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ¥508

$3.67 ฿123

-11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥195

$2.02 ฿67.4

-38.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥234

$1.41 ฿47.08

4.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.39 ฿46.54

-6.47%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥265

$2.37 ฿79.2

-29.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥2,485

$16.52 ฿552

-4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 ¥733

$2.67 ฿89.3

74.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 ¥2,712

$9.02 ฿302

90.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 ¥781

$2.40 ฿80.2

106.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 ¥487

$1.04 ฿34.82

197.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 ¥788

$1.66 ฿55.5

201.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.04 ¥1,266

$1.56 ฿52.1

415.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 ¥438

$1.24 ฿41.39

124.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.24 ¥668

$1.09 ฿36.34

288.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ¥185

$0.76 ฿25.47

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥76.2

$0.51 ฿17.19

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥621

$4.12 ฿138

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.38 ¥1,477

$17.93 ฿600

-47.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 ¥416

$1.62 ฿54.3

62.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥332

$2.82 ฿94.4

-25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ¥403

$0.93 ฿31.25

175.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.79 ¥2,801

$52.9 ฿1,769

-66.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥490

$1.18 ฿39.35

163.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 ¥423

$0.17 ฿5.73

1476.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.85 ¥4,229

$1.81 ฿60.6

1383.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.47 ฿49.25

-25.17%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.0K ฿702.6K

2.09%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$26.5K ฿886.7K

-42.43%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$62.6 ฿2,092

89.16%

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

$23.75 ¥3,740

$11.60 ฿388

104.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.85 ¥4,858

$20.30 ฿679

51.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.29 ¥7,606

$37.88 ฿1,267

27.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.18 ¥4,911

$3.70 ฿124

742.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.71 ¥2,002

$6.51 ฿218

95.24%

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

$710 ¥111.8K

$727 ฿24.3K

-2.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K ¥3.5M

$16.6K ฿554.2K

34.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 ¥11.0K

$53.5 ฿1,790

29.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 ¥5,621

$24.80 ฿829

43.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 ¥9,462

$90.4 ฿3,023

-33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 ¥15.5K

$72.0 ฿2,407

36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ¥60.5K

$481 ฿16.1K

-20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 ¥285.6K

$310 ฿10.4K

485.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 ¥89.1K

$1,058 ฿35.4K

-46.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥75.8K

$659 ฿22.0K

-26.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 ¥268.4K

$595 ฿19.9K

186.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

5.57

-63.73%

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

Last update for Maebashi: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maebashi

$1.8K 67.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 82.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Maebashi

$328 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 27.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maebashi

$173 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 45.4% $78

Eating Out

Maebashi

$144 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 46.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Maebashi

$119 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 8.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Maebashi

$74 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 30.9% $23

Getting Around

Maebashi

$45 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 31.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $384 in Maebashi 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 Maebashi are about 2.9 times higher, 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 $32 in Maebashi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Maebashi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

17:28 5:28 PM

2 h behind Maebashi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,644

127,240

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 157 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maebashi Chiang Mai 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Maebashi
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

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

Maebashi costs about 188% 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 $4,044 per month in Maebashi 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 Maebashi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $384 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $710 per month in Maebashi 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 39% more in Maebashi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,696 in Maebashi 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 $2,696 in Maebashi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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