Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Otsu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,297 in Otsu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Otsu vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Otsu $1,297
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,890 per month in Otsu vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Otsu $1,890
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,482 per month in Otsu vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Otsu $2,482
Chiang Mai $1,979

Otsu costs about 39% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Otsu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Otsu 5% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.43 ¥1,331

$2.24 ฿75.6

276.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,043

$19.00 ฿641

68.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥810

$5.55 ฿187

-7.57%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥494

$1.67 ฿56.5

86.83%

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

$1.18 ¥187

$0.64 ฿21.53

84.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.31 ฿10.30

190.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ¥504

$2.36 ฿79.5

35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 ¥712

$3.66 ฿124

23.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥242

$1.95 ฿65.7

-21.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.44 ฿48.45

7.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 ¥714

$1.33 ฿45.01

239.85%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$2.28 ฿77.0

-6.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.67 ¥2,475

$16.45 ฿555

-4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 ¥1,086

$2.78 ฿93.8

147.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 ¥2,718

$9.31 ฿314

84.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 ¥782

$2.35 ฿79.4

110.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 ¥393

$0.97 ฿32.78

156.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.97 ¥785

$1.60 ฿53.9

210.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 ¥698

$1.50 ฿50.6

194.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ¥348

$1.28 ฿43.10

71.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.10 ฿37.17

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ¥187

$0.71 ฿23.81

67.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥137

$0.49 ฿16.36

77.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥627

$4.14 ฿140

-4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 ¥1,530

$17.52 ฿591

-44.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥326

$1.61 ฿54.5

27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥345

$2.78 ฿93.9

-21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥235

$0.87 ฿29.29

71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 ¥9,080

$54.1 ฿1,825

6.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 ¥514

$1.16 ฿39.03

181.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 ¥450

$0.53 ฿17.79

437.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.41 ¥4,486

$2.42 ฿81.7

1073.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥177

$1.45 ฿48.87

-22.76%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$21.1K ฿710.3K

5.26%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$26.9K ฿908.7K

-43.35%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$62.2 ฿2,097

89.34%

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

$23.18 ¥3,661

$12.17 ฿410

90.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 ¥4,849

$20.12 ฿679

52.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ¥8,042

$37.31 ฿1,259

36.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.46 ¥1,494

$3.77 ฿127

150.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,029

$6.49 ฿219

98.00%

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

$700 ¥110.6K

$736 ฿24.8K

-4.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ¥2.0M

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-14.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 ¥8,766

$53.4 ฿1,800

4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 ¥5,693

$24.64 ฿831

46.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ¥11.0K

$91.5 ฿3,086

-24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 ¥15.3K

$71.9 ฿2,426

35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥69.9K

$482 ฿16.3K

-8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ¥57.9K

$309 ฿10.4K

18.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥98.4K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-38.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥72.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

-27.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,199 ¥663.1K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

77.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,274 ¥359.2K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

43.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,818 ¥287.0K

$590 ฿19.9K

208.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.57

-62.30%

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

Last update for Otsu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Otsu

$366 28.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 15.7% $57

Groceries & Markets

Otsu

$332 25.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 29.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Otsu

$172 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 45% $77

Eating Out

Otsu

$154 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 49.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Otsu

$116 9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 6.5% $7.5

Getting Around

Otsu

$81 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 24.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Otsu

$77 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 34.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $443 in Otsu versus $482 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 Otsu are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Otsu versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Otsu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

2 h behind Otsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

341,314

127,240

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Otsu Chiang Mai 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Otsu
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

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

Otsu costs about 39% 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 $1,945 per month in Otsu and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $443 in Otsu and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $700 per month in Otsu and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Otsu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,297 in Otsu and $936 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,297 in Otsu. 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, Otsu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.