Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tottori and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,174 in Tottori, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Tottori
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Tottori Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tottori

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,174

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Tottori vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tottori $1,174
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,879 per month in Tottori vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tottori $1,879
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,584 per month in Tottori vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tottori $2,584
Chiang Mai $1,903

Tottori costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tottori and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tottori 13% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 ¥1,498

$2.29 ฿76.5

313.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.02 ¥5,059

$19.64 ฿656

63.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥786

$5.61 ฿188

-11.41%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ¥513

$1.66 ฿55.6

95.78%

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

$0.88 ¥139

$0.70 ฿23.40

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥116

$0.31 ฿10.24

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 ¥484

$2.41 ฿80.4

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 ¥901

$3.71 ฿124

53.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.95 ฿65.3

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ¥159

$1.41 ฿47.03

-29.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.67 ¥895

$1.31 ฿43.62

332.82%

Eggs

$2.05 ¥323

$2.18 ฿72.9

-5.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 ¥1,356

$16.65 ฿556

-48.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 ¥1,132

$2.76 ฿92.2

159.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 ¥1,843

$9.11 ฿304

28.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 ¥670

$2.39 ฿80.0

77.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ¥352

$1.03 ฿34.26

116.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 ¥727

$1.63 ฿54.4

182.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ¥531

$1.50 ฿50.0

124.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 ¥294

$1.29 ฿43.13

44.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥262

$1.11 ฿37.03

49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ¥188

$0.72 ฿24.08

65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥142

$0.53 ฿17.59

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥595

$4.31 ฿144

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 ¥1,217

$17.95 ฿600

-57.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥257

$1.58 ฿52.9

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ¥401

$2.84 ฿95.0

-10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ¥171

$0.86 ฿28.86

25.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 ¥8,556

$53.3 ฿1,780

1.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 ¥517

$1.21 ฿40.29

170.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 ¥614

$0.57 ฿18.99

580.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.25 ¥1,936

$2.35 ฿78.6

421.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥167

$1.44 ฿47.96

-27.08%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

1.00%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-44.57%

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

$102 ¥16.1K

$62.3 ฿2,083

63.26%

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

$24.06 ¥3,801

$12.11 ฿405

98.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.13 ¥4,918

$19.94 ฿666

56.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ¥8,209

$37.07 ฿1,239

40.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.73 ¥2,010

$3.78 ฿126

236.77%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 ¥1,905

$6.50 ฿217

85.54%

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

$322 ¥50.8K

$793 ฿26.5K

-59.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,609 ¥1.0M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-55.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.45 ¥5,442

$53.7 ฿1,796

-35.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.36 ¥3,690

$24.62 ฿823

-5.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.17 ¥7,768

$90.9 ฿3,036

-45.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 ¥15.2K

$71.1 ฿2,378

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 ¥42.9K

$455 ฿15.2K

-40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥52.2K

$298 ฿9,954

10.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥176.5K

$908 ฿30.4K

23.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 ¥117.4K

$554 ฿18.5K

34.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,580 ¥723.6K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

137.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ¥289.6K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

26.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.74

5.57

-68.76%

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

Last update for Tottori: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tottori

$330 28.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 9.8% $32

Groceries & Markets

Tottori

$275 23.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 14.5% $40

Eating Out

Tottori

$163 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 51.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tottori

$157 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 39.9% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Tottori

$91 7.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 18.4% $17

Getting Around

Tottori

$81 6.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 25.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Tottori

$76 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 34.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Tottori 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 $32.00 in Tottori versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tottori

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

2 h behind Tottori

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,717

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 →

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Tottori Chiang Mai 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tottori
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

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

Tottori costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Tottori 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 $322 per month in Tottori 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 17% more in Tottori, 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 Tottori at $1,174. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tottori it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,174 in Tottori. 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, Tottori makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.