Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiso and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,048 in Shiso, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Shiso despite lower rent and utilities.

51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,048 per month in Shiso vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shiso $1,048
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Shiso vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shiso $1,913
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,777 per month in Shiso vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shiso $2,777
Chiang Mai $1,903

Shiso costs about 13% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shiso and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Shiso 23% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 ¥1,244

$2.29 ฿76.5

243.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 ¥10.7K

$19.64 ฿656

246.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 ¥993

$5.61 ฿188

12.12%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ¥584

$1.66 ฿55.6

122.29%

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

$0.83 ¥132

$0.70 ฿23.40

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.31 ฿10.24

132.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ¥407

$2.41 ฿80.4

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.71 ฿124

-15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.95 ฿65.3

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 ¥474

$1.41 ฿47.03

112.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 ¥769

$1.31 ฿43.62

271.76%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥346

$2.18 ฿72.9

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,609

$16.65 ฿556

-38.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ¥1,023

$2.76 ฿92.2

134.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.01 ¥4,267

$9.11 ฿304

196.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ¥842

$2.39 ฿80.0

123.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥409

$1.03 ฿34.26

151.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 ¥641

$1.63 ฿54.4

149.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥943

$1.50 ฿50.0

298.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 ¥678

$1.29 ฿43.13

232.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥411

$1.11 ฿37.03

134.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥218

$0.72 ฿24.08

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.53 ฿17.59

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 ¥650

$4.31 ฿144

-4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥1,211

$17.95 ฿600

-57.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.58 ฿52.9

21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥351

$2.84 ฿95.0

-21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ¥216

$0.86 ฿28.86

58.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.90 ¥5,356

$53.3 ฿1,780

-36.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥564

$1.21 ฿40.29

195.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥455

$0.57 ฿18.99

405.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.87 ¥3,297

$2.35 ฿78.6

788.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.44 ฿47.96

-11.11%

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

$22.9K ¥3.6M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

10.45%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-36.64%

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

$144 ¥22.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

131.64%

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

$23.93 ¥3,781

$12.11 ฿405

97.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.58 ¥2,146

$19.94 ฿666

-31.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 ¥5,805

$37.07 ฿1,239

-0.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥2,167

$3.78 ฿126

262.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 ¥726

$6.50 ฿217

-29.38%

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

$283 ¥44.8K

$793 ฿26.5K

-64.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.1M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-8.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.06 ¥1,589

$53.7 ฿1,796

-81.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.87 ¥4,720

$24.62 ฿823

21.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.76 ¥5,334

$90.9 ฿3,036

-62.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 ¥15.7K

$71.1 ฿2,378

40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥74.3K

$455 ฿15.2K

3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ¥26.0K

$298 ฿9,954

-44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥136.1K

$908 ฿30.4K

-5.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ¥104.2K

$554 ฿18.5K

19.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,229 ¥668.1K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

119.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,769 ¥279.5K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

22.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

5.57

-68.04%

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

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shiso

$368 35.2%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 36.1% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiso

$182 17.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 48.1% $88

Accommodation & Living

Shiso

$165 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 80.8% $133

Eating Out

Shiso

$152 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 48.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Shiso

$78 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 38.6% $30

Getting Around

Shiso

$57 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 6% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Shiso

$46 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 9% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Shiso versus $455 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 $68.0 in Shiso versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shiso

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

10:00 10:00 AM

2 h behind Shiso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,610

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 21, 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 21, 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

Shiso Chiang Mai 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shiso
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

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

Shiso costs about 13% 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 $1,572 per month in Shiso and $1,388 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 $283 per month in Shiso and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Shiso, 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 Shiso at $1,048. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shiso it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,048 in Shiso. 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, Shiso makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.