Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,287 in Tsu, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Tsu vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tsu $1,287
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Tsu vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tsu $1,999
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,710 per month in Tsu vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tsu $2,710
Chiang Mai $1,979

Tsu costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ¥982

$2.24 ฿75.6

177.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.49 ¥2,763

$19.00 ฿641

-7.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.91 ¥617

$5.55 ฿187

-29.55%

Cappuccino

$2.34 ¥369

$1.67 ฿56.5

40.12%

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

$1.14 ¥181

$0.64 ฿21.53

78.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥90.9

$0.31 ฿10.30

87.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ¥331

$2.36 ฿79.5

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ¥372

$3.66 ฿124

-35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.95 ฿65.7

-18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥203

$1.44 ฿48.45

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 ¥889

$1.33 ฿45.01

323.31%

Eggs

$2.02 ¥319

$2.28 ฿77.0

-11.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 ¥1,984

$16.45 ฿555

-23.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 ¥1,543

$2.78 ฿93.8

251.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.52 ¥5,135

$9.31 ฿314

249.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 ¥581

$2.35 ฿79.4

56.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ¥362

$0.97 ฿32.78

136.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,012

$1.60 ฿53.9

300.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 ¥659

$1.50 ฿50.6

178.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ¥607

$1.28 ฿43.10

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 ¥548

$1.10 ฿37.17

215.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$0.71 ฿23.81

83.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥163

$0.49 ฿16.36

110.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥558

$4.14 ฿140

-14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 ¥1,322

$17.52 ฿591

-52.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥323

$1.61 ฿54.5

26.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥233

$2.78 ฿93.9

-47.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥234

$0.87 ฿29.29

70.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 ¥8,926

$54.1 ฿1,825

4.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 ¥509

$1.16 ฿39.03

178.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 ¥509

$0.53 ฿17.79

507.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 ¥4,259

$2.42 ฿81.7

1014.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥164

$1.45 ฿48.87

-28.28%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

$21.1K ฿710.3K

-9.81%

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

$16.7K ¥2.6M

$26.9K ฿908.7K

-37.90%

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

$145 ¥22.8K

$62.2 ฿2,097

132.62%

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

$24.21 ¥3,824

$12.17 ฿410

98.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.47 ¥6,866

$20.12 ฿679

116.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,107

$37.31 ฿1,259

37.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.93 ¥2,042

$3.77 ฿127

242.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ¥1,317

$6.49 ฿219

28.51%

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

$322 ¥50.8K

$736 ฿24.8K

-56.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 ¥981.8K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-57.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 ¥7,762

$53.4 ฿1,800

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.83 ¥4,079

$24.64 ฿831

4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ¥7,403

$91.5 ฿3,086

-48.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$71.9 ฿2,426

-9.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ¥85.9K

$482 ฿16.3K

12.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ¥53.9K

$309 ฿10.4K

10.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 ¥161.2K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

1.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.6K

$633 ฿21.4K

16.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 ¥677.0K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

81.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 ¥358.3K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

42.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,511 ¥238.6K

$590 ฿19.9K

156.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

5.57

-65.89%

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

Last update for Tsu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tsu

$388 30.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 39.6% $154

Accommodation & Living

Tsu

$342 26.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 9.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tsu

$212 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 55.5% $118

Eating Out

Tsu

$112 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 30.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Tsu

$84 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 28.9% $24

Getting Around

Tsu

$82 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 25% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Tsu

$68 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 26.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $544 in Tsu 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 Tsu are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Tsu versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Tsu vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tsu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

2 h behind Tsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,241

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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Highest

Between locations

Tsu Chiang Mai 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tsu
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

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

Tsu costs about 38% 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 $1,931 per month in Tsu 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $544 in Tsu.

Kindergarten costs $322 per month in Tsu 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 65% more in Tsu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,287 in Tsu 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 $1,287 in Tsu. 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, Tsu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.